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MillimeterHD Focus
Feb 22, 2005 4:52 PM
Documentary HD, Then and Now
by Michael Goldman
DP John Chater now owns a Panasonic AJ-HDC27 VariCam system, and he believes in the format. Two years ago, however, it was a different story. Back then, he and the producers of a four-part, science documentary for PBS -- Strange Days on Planet Earth, slated to debut this April -- were among the first to commit to the VariCam for a multi-camera, broadcast documentary project. They did so with trepidation because the system had never been used for a project of this scope before. But they figured that on their tight budget, it provided their best shot for developing a standardized look for the reams of material being shot across the globe by four separate crews.
“The previous project I did with [production company Sea Studios Foundation, Monterey, Calif.,] was shot on Super 16mm,” Chater explains. “When this project came up over two years ago, I was really skeptical about being able to shoot it on video with good quality. But it became clear there would be four separate [episodes] produced, with four different DPs -- of which I would be one -- and four different directors. We wanted to ‘unify’ the look of each episode, but also set a high bar for visual creativity. It’s unusual for documentaries to do this, but in our early tests, we shot a wide range of things and took those tests all the way through to color correction, pressing the envelope about looks and color.”
The show’s producer and underwater cinematographer, Mark Shelley calls the production process that evolved out of those tests a matter of “working backwards from the color correction." He means that producers decided to commit to specific VariCam settings in the field, because the tests had revealed the range of things that could be done in post to turn footage captured using those settings into “bold imagery” later, according to Chater.
The DP says the process involved first making a decision between using the VariCam’s Film Rec or Video Rec setting. Chater says the filmmakers developed at the time a specific Video Rec setting that worked well for both daylight and interiors. They were concerned then about applying the Film Rec look in low light and having to bump up gain, which can introduce noise into the image. "[Our approach] left images flexible enough to be color-corrected according to our palette later," says Chater. "In our color correction tests, we found it was easy to get the image palette to go toward a warm, rich, orange glow, but it was difficult to go toward blue and cyan without introducing noise and artifacting.
"So we ended up partially correcting the camera for daylight, and letting the image be recorded with a slight blue saturation," he continues. "We mandated that the camera be set on the C-Filter -- a 4300 Kelvin filter -- rather than use the full-on daylight correction. That let us grab onto the blue in post and color-correct in that direction without adding a lot of noise.”
For budgetary reasons, the documentary was eventually downconverted, color-corrected, and finished in SD. However, the same creative team is currently working on a new PBS documentary for 2006, and at press time, Chater felt that two years of experience and improvements in HD technology would allow filmmakers to take a different approach.
“The DVCPRO HD format is more common now, and there are post solutions available today that were not around when we started this project,” he says. “I also have a much better understanding of the camera’s capabilities, and I know a variety of ways to work around the problem [of introducing noise to the image in Film Rec mode], so I probably would work differently if we were doing this project today. But at the time, we were on the bleeding edge of using this camera on this scale, and it wasn’t easy to find a postproduction environment that could deal with the DVCPRO HD workflow.”
Indeed, Chater was expecting at press time to shoot the new documentary in Film Rec mode on the VariCam, and Shelley anticipated editing the show in Final Cut Pro and finishing in HD.
For more on this project, see the March issue of Millimeter.
BBC Post Production Relies on Accom WSD/HDe
Accom announced the first UK installation of its WSD/HDe universal-format digital disk recorder, at BBC Post Production’s graphics department at Television Centre, London. Used mainly for graphics applications initially in standard-definition production, the WSD/HDe’s built-in capability for high-definition will help meet the anticipated increased demand for the HD format.
Installed as a shared resource for their graphics team, BBC Post Production chose WSD/HDe for its networking flexibility and the ability to control it via a browser-based interface running on graphic artists’ desktops, according to Andy Wray of system integrators Boxer Systems. WSD/HDe’s award-winning browser-based user interface has been adapted to provide desktop preview of video clips on the server, complementing the ability to browse, select and play clips remotely.
WSD/HDe captures both Standard Definition (SD) and High Definition (HD) uncompressed video content, provides real-time playback for rendered material, and offers plug-and-play operation. WSD/HDe has 2.5 hours of built-in recording capacity at 24p format, and RAID-3 parity protection for video with redundant mirrored disks for audio.
Designed for multiple roles in a variety of production environments, WSD/HDe has a rich and versatile feature set. Interfacing easily with networked graphics computers and film printers, tape machines and edit controllers, WSD/HDe imports and exports in all major file formats, eliminating the need for custom transfer scripting or proprietary file wrappers. WSD/HDe automatically creates and names new clip files when the first frame arrives in any of up to five user-defined directories, adding subsequent frames to the clip as they arrive. During recording, WSD/HDe can perform simultaneous transfer of frames from any clip to any computer, disk drive or film printer on the computer network.
For digital encoding for remote delivery of dailies, creation of DVD content or video streaming direct to the web, WSD/HDe includes built-in Windows® Media Encoder 9 Series™ capability. Customizable encoding profiles allow clips to be delivered in a range of file sizes — from compact VHS-quality up to 19Mbps (megabits per second) high-definition clips for high-quality production review, web-trailers or DVD.
About WSD/HDe
The WSD/HDi and WSD/HDe each feature a built-in disk storage array, and provide the most robust feature set of any professional uncompressed digital disk recorder (DDR) on the market today. Each disk recorder captures both Standard Definition (SD) and High Definition (HD) uncompressed video content, provides realtime playback for rendered material, and is operationally plug-and-play. There’s no need to add boards or partition a drive. With a simple click of the mouse, users can immediately switch between SD or HD projects without ever having to reboot the disk recorder. It's that easy and it's that flexible! So, whether you're working on an SD or HD project, the WSD/HD platform is the perfect uncompressed real-time video I/O and storage solution.
About Accom
Accom is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. Accom designs, manufactures, sells, and supports a complete line of digital video production, disk recording, and editing tools for use in the worldwide professional television marketplace — encompassing the production, post production, broadcasting, and computer video markets. For more information, visit the Accom web site.
NEP Supershooters Takes Leitch's X75 HD to Super Bowl XXXIX
Leitch Technology Corporation (www.leitch.com) announced that its new X75 HD Up/Down/Cross Converter and Synchronizer was part of NEP Supershooters all-HD truck that was used to broadcast the FOX Network's coverage of Super Bowl XXXIX, Sunday, Feb. 6, from ALLTEL Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The truck broadcast in 720p high-definition format.
"The X75 is a great tool and very handy to have around when you need that extra 'up/down/cross audio delay embedder/de-embedder' in your tool kit," said George Hoover, executive vice president of engineering, NEP Supershooters. "I'd love to see one or two in all of our HD trucks."
The X75HD combines up/down/cross conversion, HD frame sync and extensive video and audio processing capabilities all in a space-saving 1RU package, and is equally suited for analog, digital, or high-definition hybrid facilities. Video processing features include simultaneous upconversion and downconversion with aspect ratio conversion for hybrid standard- and high-definition facilities; level/color control; optional 3D adaptive color decoding with time base correction; optional noise reduction; and frame synchronization. The X75HD's 16 channels of internal audio processing include timing with video for lip sync corrections; level control; analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion; and embedding and de-embedding for both SDI and HD-SDI serial digital signals and integrated Dolby decompression for interfacing any audio signal in a professional environment.
"With capabilities that far exceed any digital processing synchronizer, the X75HD allows broadcasters to do much more with less equipment," said Tim Thorsteinson, president and CEO of Leitch Technology. "Our HD portfolio has seen significant enhancements this past year, and being chosen to provide one of our newest HD products for this high-profile event underscores that Leitch is seen as a reliable choice for critical high-definition projects." NEP Broadcasting of Pittsburgh provides a wide range of services to the sports and entertainment industries. NEP Supershooters is known world-wide as the top provider of remote broadcast facilities, management personnel, and engineering expertise for high-profile television events presented by the sports and entertainment industries. NEP can provide camera, audio, graphics and switching equipment in both digital and high-definition formats within their mobile production facilities.
About Leitch Technology
Leitch Technology is a 34-year global leader in the design and distribution of high-performance video systems for the professional television industry. Leitch offers products and systems that enable operations of any size to streamline workflow, achieving a truly Integrated Content Environment for content production, processing, transmission, management and test and measurement. With a sole focus on and commitment to the television industry,
Leitch provides premium customer support. (www.leitch.com)
CBS Television City Chooses Canon HD Lenses for American Idol
CBS Television City has been at the forefront of many technological changes since it first opened in 1952 as Hollywood's first studio built specifically for TV production. Today, this world-famous facility has transitioned to HDTV (High Definition Television) for such clients as Fox Television's hit reality series American Idol, and for this transition CBS Television City has chosen Canon HDTV lenses.
“We have done side-by-side tests and we looked for what we feel is the best possible lens,” stated Marc Hurd, Director of Technical Operations in the Technical and Production Department at CBS Television City. “Canon's optimal excellence and years of high-quality service made them the distinctive favorite.”
CBS Television City purchased four Canon XJ25x6.8B IE-D HD studio lenses and one Canon HJ11ex4.7B WRSE/WASE wide-angle HD portable lens for use on the new season of American Idol. The lenses will be used on Sony HDTV cameras.
The 2005 season of American Idol is the first variety/entertainment show taped in HDTV. Hurd anticipates that CBS Television City’s transition to HD will prompt more production in that exciting new format.
“We build our HD production on the best possible quality,” added Hurd. “We evaluate everything coming in the house and the long relationship we’ve had with Canon—as well as their superior service and back-up—goes a long way in deciding which lens brand we’re going to go with.”
The XJ25x6.8B IE-D HD lens, also known as the Digi Super 25xs, employs Canon's revolutionary Power Optical System design technology—including the new optical "X-Element"—to achieve unsurpassed performance specifications and quality. With a zoom ratio to 25X and a focal length from 6.8mm to 170mm, the Digi Super 25xs is not only a superior HD studio lens, it also provides the very best SDTV (Standard Definition Television) performance. The Digi Super 25x's new-generation digital servo system makes possible the introduction of many new functions, such as a constant angle of view while focusing (also known as "CAFS," or "Constant Angle Focusing System") and a digital memory selection for a variety of servo pre-sets. The Digi Super 25xs also offers 13-bit zoom-and-focus repeatability as well as bi-directional serial-data communication for highly accurate and smooth movement. The digital servo system is reliable, consistent, and not affected by electric interference.
Canon's HJ11ex4.7B portable HD lens, meanwhile, is the widest HDTV lens on the market. CBS purchased the WRSE/WASE version of this lens, which features Canon's exclusive Crossover Technology for shooting in both HDTV's wide-screen proportions of 16:9 and SDTV's traditional 4:3 TV screen. CBS Television City will be using this lens on a portable Sony HDTV camera in a variety of configurations, including hand-held, jib-mounted, and Steadicam. The HJ11ex4.7B WRSE/WASE portable HD lens also offers Canon's eHDxs Enhanced Digital Drive technology, which provides such user-programmable features as the ability to pre-set zoom and framing speeds.
Canon offers a comprehensive line of HD, SD, ENG, EFP, Field, and Studio lenses to meet the needs of a wide variety of program producers, including broadcast and cable networks, independent production companies, and digital filmmakers. Canon’s HD lens line-up is not only ideal for HDTV production applications, but it can also future-proof current SDTV users for later upgrading to HD. Canon is a significant driving force in developing new-generation digital lens technologies for the HDTV age.
In addition to the many innovative Canon technologies built into these new lenses, Canon also added a customized feature to the XJ25x6.8B HD studio lenses that CBS Television City purchased.
“We asked Canon if we could order lenses with dark shrouds so they would be less visible in studio wide shots," concluded Hurd. "Canon went back to the drawing board and came back with studio lens housings that are painted a very dark gray, which works great for us."
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.
