HD tips and grading in camera.

It is important to consult your camera hire facility before you start the production.
Great care must be taken when manipulating the camera menu.
Factory shipped menu has an all round nice set-up, this will allow reasonable Post grading of the pictures.

There are settings that can add great value to the post grade process.
i.e : BBC initial gamma.
This is done by creating a more detail in the shadows allowing for more dynamic range manipulation in post.
There are many ways of achieving in camera grade if there is no money or time for post grading or if the DOP wants to light to a “look”.
It is possible to achieve 'bleach by-pass', Fuji stock and many other looks to add value to the script, this can only be done with the DOP and directors presents.
Where there is money and time the value of a good colourist can never be understated in a post environment.
Of course the wonderful black and white, this will be done in post but can be monitored on location for lighting.

Normal picture before grade.	Bleach by-pass
Fuji stock.	Black and White.

The first rule in any in camera grading is TEST TEST TEST, this will avoid most surprises when you are sitting in edit, especially when transferring to 35mm.
The HD format has allot of detail in all aspects of the picture so it is necessary to have the art department, make-up and wardrobe present for these tests.

Memory sticks which are used to store setting in the HDW F900 and HDW 750P these are not as robust as the ones used on the Digital Betacam camera DVW 700, 790. Store them in a hard case and avoid dropping them or the washing machine routine. Make back-ups of the cards they do corrupt. Use 4MB cards.

Shutter degree angle.

When shooting progressive (PsF) the shutter must be used.
If you are shooting at 25 PsF (25 frames per second: progressive) you must use 1/50th of a second, this is equivalent to 25 frames per second on film with a 180 degree shutter. Just double the frame rate for the correct shutter i.e : 24 PsF = 1/48th and 30 PsF=1/60th. Shutter degree angle chart.

Marking tapes.

It is very important to mark the tapes correctly. If you are using High Definition or HDCAM and shooting at 25 FPS progressive, then mark the tape as 1080P/25 or if you are shooting interlaced then 1080i/25 and drop frame 1080i/30 DF.
The 1080 in the format resolution and the 25, 24 or 30 is the frame rate.

Use time code to mark tape no’s i.e :

• ROLL # 1 Timecode 01:00:00:00


• ROLL # 2 Timecode 02:00:00:00 go all the way to timecode 20:00:00:00 (Roll no 20)


• When you change to Roll-21 then use timecode 01 again. This makes it easier in post to find tapes. Also mark every tape with the ROLL # clearly as the timecode does not correspond. TC: 01 will always be roll # 01,21,31, 41, 51, 61, 101 and so on.

Visuals Group Technical Department.