Interesting to see DSLRS being used in TV production

great stuff
my daughter has a digicam which is smaller than a dslr...and takes SD cards..
not sure about the quality...but if she uses it as a still cam...the quality wouldnt be so good as a dslr..
?
 
i was an extra in a music video for a mates band recently and it was shot 100% on dslr's. the cameramen were saying that the quality of the video is so good that it makes no difference to the end product compared to conventional video cameras. the weight saving with a small dslr must make it easier if you're gonna be holding it for hours on end too.

i can't remember what cameras they were using, just that they were canons.
 
Not just TV.. but also movies - the Vincent Laforet blog is one place to look for what's being done with HD DSLRs in the media industry.

I believe that for quite a while (possibly still) the BBC wouldn't accept HD DSLR footage despite Hollywood already using it. If I remember right the last episode of House was shot entirely using Canon 5DII.
 
Whilst not using the HD video technology, the kids animation "fantastic mr fox" was shot entirely on DSLR's, frame by frame by frame......
 
Alastair said:
I believe that for quite a while (possibly still) the BBC wouldn't accept HD DSLR footage despite Hollywood already using it.
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I think I've asked you (or someone else) this when this was mentioned on a other thread already. Didn't get an answer then - but how would the BBC know if footage came from a DSLR? Productions edit, grade and the final piece would not be identifiable as coming from a DSLR at all.

It's possible I suppose that their facilities were not equipped to deal with 'raw' DSLR camera data - but that is not really the same thing as saying they 'won't accept footage' isn't it?
 
Same way Getty know that your stills shots weren't taken by a camera on the approved list.

There's an article this month in HD Magazine describing that the BBC are examining the use of DSLRs on a case-by-case basis..

Ian Potts who is an Executive Producer at the BBC and part of the approval process explained the BBC's approach to these new cameras: "Cameras like the 5D and the 7D are going through our R&D departments and our simulations but at the moment they are not cleared for use mainly because of their aliasing issues. Moire patterns are also a concern but these aren't new and cameras like the Arri D20 and D21 also show them. But the fact that the 5D produces a 22 megapixel image then brings that down to 2 for video without the necessary processing and filtering does concern us but the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

..

Ian went on to say that at the moment the BBC is in the process of a massive tendering project to approve new HD cameras for use at the corporation and anything less than 50mb/s data rate is being looked at unfavourably. Results from the tender should be published next month. ​

Broadcast cameras will be using three sensors instead of one and the compression/processing taking place within the camera will be different.
 
Alastair said:
Same way Getty know that your stills shots weren't taken by a camera on the approved list.

There's an article this month in HD Magazine describing that the BBC are examining the use of DSLRs on a case-by-case basis..

Ian Potts who is an Executive Producer at the BBC and part of the approval process explained the BBC's approach to these new cameras: "Cameras like the 5D and the 7D are going through our R&D departments and our simulations but at the moment they are not cleared for use mainly because of their aliasing issues. Moire patterns are also a concern but these aren't new and cameras like the Arri D20 and D21 also show them. But the fact that the 5D produces a 22 megapixel image then brings that down to 2 for video without the necessary processing and filtering does concern us but the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

..

Ian went on to say that at the moment the BBC is in the process of a massive tendering project to approve new HD cameras for use at the corporation and anything less than 50mb/s data rate is being looked at unfavourably. Results from the tender should be published next month. ​

Broadcast cameras will be using three sensors instead of one and the compression/processing taking place within the camera will be different.
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I think that the BBC testing the before using them for production is not quite the same as 'not accepting DSLR footage'.

I'll ask the wife later but I'm sure she has been working on some productions in South Wales that are using Canon DSLR's (as second cameras) already.

However thanks for the link to HD Magazine - that AF101 is going to be a game changer!
 
Voyager said:
I think that the BBC testing the before using them for production is not quite the same as 'not accepting DSLR footage'.
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Until very recently this has been the official line from the BBC - they would not accept DSLR footage for HD broadcast programmes. Now at least they are reviewing it, but reserve the right to exclude programmes from the HD channels even is they accept them for SD.

They are still not on the approved list. And this becomes even more significant when you consider the predictions of the commissioning strategy:

Along with many other broadcasters we now take the view that HD is becoming standard technology across television production, and many of our programmes are already being delivered in HD. From April 2011, we will expect all network programmes to be delivered in High Definition. HD delivery should be discussed as part of the commissioning process, with any significant production challenges shared at that point.​

If all network programmes are to be delivered in HD, and DSLRs are not on the HD approved list, then you can't assume that your programme will be accepted as it's a case-by-case decision until any future review decides otherwise. To produce work on any basis other than the BBC are "not accepting DSLR footage" would be foolish - unless you've had your case reviewed an accepted in advance. Unless you want to take a punt on your body/firmware/lens combination being added to the approved list in the future.
 
Interestingly enough some friends who are at the Natural History Unit had their 5D's replaced with 5DmkII's for stills footage and were also told "go and have a play about with the video as well" which they have done.

In fact, I'm off to shoot deer in the next couple of weeks as one of them wants to borrow my 400L and 1.4x converter. So I'm tagging along for the ride.
 
jamesb84 said:
Interestingly enough some friends who are at the Natural History Unit had their 5D's replaced with 5DmkII's for stills footage and were also told "go and have a play about with the video as well" which they have done.
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There was a scene set up for a BBC (HD) nature programme last year(?) shot using stop motion showing the plants growing in a forest glade over a year. They showed how it was done at the end of the programme (that I can't remember the name of though!) They used a DSLR and quite a lot of set dressing to create the effect.

Of course BBC don't accept DSLR footage so that must have all been made up too. :thinking:
 
Voyager said:
There was a scene set up for a BBC (HD) nature programme last year(?) shot using stop motion showing the plants growing in a forest glade over a year. They showed how it was done at the end of the programme (that I can't remember the name of though!) They used a DSLR and quite a lot of set dressing to create the effect.

Of course BBC don't accept DSLR footage so that must have all been made up too. :thinking:
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I know the scene you mean and it was an incredible sequence.. but wasn't that shot as a stop motion using stills shot with a DSLR and not video footage? That's a very different situation.
 
Alastair said:
I know the scene you mean and it was an incredible sequence.. but wasn't that shot as a stop motion using stills shot with a DSLR and not video footage? That's a very different situation.
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I don't remember. I have a feeling that it may have been a combination.

Check 'Whites' (starring Alan Davis) when it comes on later in the year, if it is on HD then they were definitely using 7D's as second unit cameras.
 
Voyager said:
I don't remember. I have a feeling that it may have been a combination.

Check 'Whites' (starring Alan Davis) when it comes on later in the year, if it is on HD then they were definitely using 7D's as second unit cameras.
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I know the one you mean, and actually one of the producers of that shot is the guy I used to live with.

AFAIK it was a combination of HD footage for some bits and stop-motion for others...they did use video footage for the outside/nature/wild bit and then transferred that onto the chroma key which they then shot on the same camera. It was the only way they could acheive an accurate enough white balance (I remember this as I had a number of conversations with my friend about the issues they were having)
 
jamesb84 said:
I know the one you mean, and actually one of the producers of that shot is the guy I used to live with.

AFAIK it was a combination of HD footage for some bits and stop-motion for others...they did use video footage for the outside/nature/wild bit and then transferred that onto the chroma key which they then shot on the same camera. It was the only way they could acheive an accurate enough white balance (I remember this as I had a number of conversations with my friend about the issues they were having)
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it's a stunning sequence, yup, but that was by far the exception, and was largely stills. The cameras used were before video slrs, think one was a D200...

The recent 'case by case' acceptance of 5d2 footage for BBC HD broadcast is big news in an industry that's already lapping up the 5d2, facilities houses are buying them, and the associated grip, up by the metric ton.

James, cool, though if you are hoping to shoot video at 400mm, you will need a rather nice fluid head tripod for any pans or tilts!

there's been a lot of talk of 'more photographers doing video stuff' but this will largely be at a low level, there are a VAST amount of different skills involved in shooting video (starting with audio...), however the production companies are loving it. One in the US uses 6 7D's (which are actually better for video production in several ways) in a live HD broadcast studio environment. Just amazing for such young tech and equipment.
 
And wallice & gromit - cracking camera!

I think I ready somewhere that the advert for one of the cameras launched that has HD video - was shot with a canon!
 
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