When the team that produces his show & DVD’s came to Dallas, they hired only one local operator to come in and help set up the extensive camera, com & audio setup. They called Anthony Burokas.

Taking up the entire main ballroom of the Westin Galleria, as well as breakout rooms throughout the hotel, the challenge of this production was to quickly adapt to using both the full ballroom, and a smaller portion when a temporary wall was brought in to cut the room in half. Gear had to be readjusted to this wall which came in and out several times throughout the multi-day production.

Anthony at the Anycast Station

This shoot was for both IMAG and live-switched for DVD mastering. ISO tapes were run in all the cameras to correct any mis-punches during the live show. The hub for everything was the Sony Anycast. This briefcase-sized box is a 6-input video mixer, playback deck, graphics, audio mixer, and more. It also was set up to record ISO feeds from each of the source cameras, and program master, as a DVCAM feed to external hard drives. This multi-day shoot went from load-in to load-out without a single problem.

To make sure your production goes as problem-free as possible, call Anthony Today.

This two-day shoot pulled out all the stops and featured full-on RED shooting, and some beautiful locations, as well as some expensive props, including a Lamborghini.

Pull out the stops. RED, Chapman, & Lamborghini.

Anthony’s extensive skills behind the camera were tapped to manage the media shot with the RED and ensure that every clip worked, and was backed up from the flash media onto two hard drives (individually verified) so that even a hard drive failure wouldn’t kill the production.

The Makeshift Media Center.

When he wasn’t checking clips, and wrangling media, he was out on the set helping out wherever possible. Decades of production experience means there’s little he can’t do, even if it is just holding a green screen up for a shot.

Yes, when extra hands are needed...

A very interesting concept of urban music hip-hop beatmasters competing to win various in-show competitions, but also a reality show with challenges and tasks and events thrown into the mix to make it interesting to watch, and/or laugh at.

I operated HDV camera for the majority of the time but also swapped with other camera operators during the big finale show on Sunday which consisted of a rap-off concert, outside, in Texas, in August. So no one could operate Glidecam for very long- even if you did constantly drink down water.

Terry Reals, DP, hamming it up between sets with ops Matt Schiller & Anthony Burokas.

It was an interesting production and I am excited to see the finished pilot. I’m not involved in the editing and, based on the sheer mass of days and events and hours shot, I don’t think I would want to be the person trying to wrestle all that content into shape.

IEBA cam gear & lighting used on the intervews.

One nice thing was, at the end of the shoot- I handed in tapes and walked away. All the camera ops recording on to flash media had to spend hours every day copying their footage over to computers- usually overnight!

The lightweight, closed DT 280 / DT 290 series headsets are ideally suited for broadcasting applications. The headphone is featuring an efficient neodymium magnet system, a very high reproduction precision and a balanced sound. Isolation from surrounding noise is very good. Another special feature is the wide audio frequency response of the mic: 10 – 30,000 Hz.

The soft circumaural earcups and the fully adjustable padded headband are extremely comfortable. The dynamic microphone can be optimally positioned with the flexible gooseneck. The hypercardioid polar pattern guarantees an extremely high-gain-before feedback and noise cancellation. If necessary the assembly of the microphone holder can be changed so that the microphone can be worn on the left or right side (In the factory it is assembled on the left side). The cables to the earcups and microphone run safely in the headband. The connecting cable is bare ended so you can configure it as you see fit. All parts such as ear pads, headband and gooseneck microphone are easy to replace.

Features

* Lightweight, low profile design
* Reference quality, closed ear monitors
* High suppression of ambient noise
* Soft, circumaural ear pad
* Noise canceling microphone
* Dynamic, hypercardioid microphone capsule
* Very high gain-before-feedback
* Flexible gooseneck for optimal positioning
* Noise canceling microphone
* Single exit, plug-in cable assembly

Frequency info & image. Click for larger view.

Headphone Specifications

* Transducer Principle: Dynamic
* Operating Principle: Closed
* Transmission Range: 10 – 30,000 Hz
* Nominal Impedance: 250 ohms/system
* Nominal SPL at 1kHz: 100 dB SPL at 1mW = 0.28V to 80 ohms
* T.H.D.: <0.2% * Nominal Power Rating: 100 mW = 120dB = 2.8V to 80 ohms
* Ambient Noise Insulation: approx. 16 dBA
* Average Pressure on ears: 4.5 N
* Weight without cable: 170 g Microphone Specifications
* Transducer Principle: Dynamic
* Transmission Range: 40 – 12,000 Hz
* Polar: Hypercardioid
* Output Voltage at a distance of 5 cm: approx. 3 mV
* Nominal Impedance: 200 ohms
* Nominal Output Impedance: >1000 ohms

We have three units, still in box. Purchased to expand the Clear-Com system we had, but sold. Never used. These come with bare ends so you can configure them as needed- com on a 4-pin, or separate 1/4″ and Mic jacks for audio monitor and talkback, etc.

New in box. Click for larger image.

It's the 280.

Clean and seldom used. Click for a larger image.

The I/O, also clean. Click for larger image.

What users had to say about the SNR-202.

I use this as the last stage before my power amp. I have a Carvin Quad X-amp tube preamp and a Seymour Duncan KTG 2100 tube power amp in addition to a few stomp-box effects in the loops. This unit really, really helps with the tube amps, which tend, of course, to be noisier than solid state. So I can crank it up, and when I’m not playing you here barely a little tube hum. I begin playing and unnoticeably the Behringer lets go. With the settings right for your rig, it will then, again almost invisibly, kick back in when you’ve made your statement. Seems to float in and out perfectly.

I have recently been re-checking and rewiring my studio. The Behringer noise reduction unit is disconnected temporarily, and MAN do I miss it!!! My system IS very quiet, but the Behringer puts a HUSH on the system that one has to HEAR to believe. What used to be taken care of with masking, the Behringer can do with proper set-up. As a previous review stated, this box is the the LAST (or next to the LAST) processor in the chain.

The rangers ride into town. Two cameras. Hot afternoon sun.

By day two, I was Director of Photography (DP) of the second unit. I oversaw shoots where the rangers (pictured above) investigate the scene where the money wagon was robbed. This scene included digging out the ground to lower the camera enough to get the ground and a full profile of the old ranger, Sagebrush (R), as he discovers a second pool of blood to indicate that the bandit that robbed the money wagon was also shot and could not have eluded the posse as they were told.

Then I also shot the entrance of the the stagecoach carrying our heroine into town. This one shot involved some 30 extras in full period costume milling around town, horses, the stagecoach and more. Quite a lot to wrangle for a 15 second shot. I shot this on the HVX200a in 720p24 (the setting the producers established for the entire production.) We did several takes from the second floor balcony and then a few low angle takes of the horses and the wheels of the carriage to add some excitement.

Giving direction to the stagecoach driver to speed up his entry into town.

If it weren’t for the fact that my allergies to cats & dogs extends to horses— and there are a LOT of horses on a western, as well as grassy lands filled with horse hair and dander, I would have stayed on set for the duration. The production was exciting, the crew dedicated and talented and the story interesting to bring to life. I was glad to be a part of this team and assist the production of this movie. Next time, better meds!

Nice Horsies! Ready for your close up?

• Samson diversity, frequency agile, lav & handheld audio (batts included)
• Sony MDR-V6 headphones for monitoring. Good cans.
• Camera light (Sony 10/20w shoe mount). Uses the same camcorder batteries.
• Glidecam set up for the FX1 and the camera light.
• ITE 2-stage stix with 75mm leveling ball & smooth, real fluid pan.
• Varizoon Stealth for easy on-tripod zooms.
• Monitoring cables, component (SD/HD) AV and Firewire
• Enough batteries for 4+ hours of tape & battery charger
• Tape included as we only use one brand- Panasonic Master- stock to avoid dropout issues
  tapes are yours to take home.

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• For another $150 a day, add the Firestore FS-4 to record direct to hard drive and then transfer the footage to your computer (over Firewire) in jut a few minutes. Do not bother with digitizing all the clips in real time. Double up with the Firestore and say goodbye to digitizing. $150/day

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• Wide angle lens options:
  — Impact 0.7x Converter. Zoom through. Nice pictures, good for when the lens needs to stay on the camera. $10/day
  — Raynox 0.79 Super Low Distortion adaptor. Can’t zoom through, but best for wide angle on the Glidecam. $10/day

I have two wide angle lenses, a thin, lightweight one for Glidecam use. A second, heavy lens that enables zoom through for use in a live production setting.

This CCD camcorder does not suffer from rolling shutter issues that distort images when panning, or with movement in the frame. It properly captures flashes of light.

HDV to deck and Firewire out that is dynamically switchable from HDV to wide screen or letterboxed DV.

I have also used this extensively on Glidecam and Steadicam rigs (see the wedding demo video on this site) for incredible motion, tracking, booming, etc.

Couple this with the FireStore hard drive recorder, or a separate media recorder of your choice (FireWire input) and you can walk away with media the instant we stop recording.

The FX1. Still the leader for HDV. (click for larger)

Info From Sony:

Play and record interlaced high definition video at resolutions up to 1440 x 1080 for professional quality video with vivid colors and striking detail with the Handycam® HDR-FX1. The HDR-FX1 features the real-time HD codec engine, which offers professional-level MPEG2 video compression, and 14bit HD DXP (Digital Extended Processor) for increased processing speed. Images are captured on three chip Advanced HAD™ CCD system that provides increased detail and improved video performance without the color bleeding found in other system. Optical capabilities include a Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® T* lens with 12x optical zoom and Super SteadyShot® image stabilization.

3-1/3″ 16:9 Advanced HAD™ CCD Imagers 1,120K Pixels Gross
Advanced HAD™ (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCD imagers with 1,120K effective (video) pixels provides excellent detail and clarity with exceptional digital video performance. Using a 3 chip Advanced HAD™ CCD system and dichroic prism to separate color information, colors are extremely accurate, and color “bleeding” and “smearing” are greatly reduced. NO “rolling shutter” or other CMOS imager issues.

Advanced HAD™ CCD Technology
Enhanced CCD design allows more light to reach the imager which reduces video noise to improve signal-to-noise ratio by up to 6db (2x better than a standard CCD). Particularly effective when shooting in dark situations.

HDV Recording Format
From the innovators in camcorder technology, Sony’s HDR-FX1 camcorder is the world’s first HDV1080i consumer level camcorder and player. Now you can record all your memories in true high-definition video.

Switchable HDV/DV Format Recording
The HDR-FX1 is capable of recording and playing back both High Definition and Standard Definition video recorded on standard MiniDV cassettes.

Real-time HD Codec Engine
A Sony developed Real Time MPEG Encode/Decode system with reduced in energy consumption and compact size to fit inside a personal camcorder. Provides efficient MPEG2 compression, and recording and playback of clear HD images at the same bit rate of the DV format, so that High Definition video can be recorded on the same cassettes as are used for MiniDV recording.

12X Optical Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® T Lens
From the authority in lens technology, the Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar® T lens provides a high quality 12x optical zoom which maintains image clarity and color while reducing glare and flare.

3.5″ Wide Precision Hybrid SwivelScreen™ LCD Display3 (250K Pixels)
Provides excellent viewing clarity with improved resolution. The 250K pixel LCD display makes images sharp and detailed during playback or when monitoring recording. The Hybrid Reflective-Transmissive LCD Screen provides accurate viewing in sunlight or bright light, virtually eliminating the “washout” common with traditional LCD Screens.

Super SteadyShot® Optical Stabilization System
An advanced form of Sony’s SteadyShot Image Stabilization system that controls an even higher range of shake and vibration frequencies. This optical stabilization system achieves an even higher level of smoothness without degradation of video like some digital stabilization systems.

Analog/Digital Conversion with Pass-Through
Convert and/or record any analog NTSC video source to digital video via the analog inputs. Analog NTSC video can also be passed through the digital Handycam camcorder directly into a PC via the i.LINK®2 interface in real-time for easy PC editing of your analog footage.

Manual Zoom and Manual Focus Ring
Dual independent Zoom and Focus rings provide precise and detailed control over the amount of zoom and the overall focus of the image with just a turn of the rings. Fast, intuitive framing when zooming, and finely detailed focusing is easy with the natural “feel” of the rings.

Expanded Focus Indicator
The camera‘s LCD image is magnified, temporarily, up to 4X its original size without any loss of distortion. This allows the user more finite control while focusing the camera for greater detail and clarity.

Picture Profile
Allows the user to set manual adjustments for a scene (color, sharpness, white balance, etc) into any one of six presets, so they can be called up at just the touch of a button. Useful when shooting under the same conditions repeatedly, as options do not have to be re-set each time. Settings for various shooting conditions are offered as defaults.

CineFrame™ Recording
Not really usable on this camcorder.

Assignable Buttons
Three buttons on the exterior of the camcorder are user-assignable so that they can be set to the options most commonly utilized, for ease of recording.

i.LINK®2 DV Interface (IEEE1394)
A high speed bi-directional digital video/audio communication between two compatible devices equipped with an IEEE1394 interface, including camcorders, digital VCRs, and PCs.

Shot Transition
Allows for a smooth automatic scene transition. Settings for focus, zoom, iris, gain, shutter, and white balance can be set to the A/B button and a smooth transition will take place according to the set time. This function enables the focus to gradually shift from the front of the screen to a deeper part of the screen. Thus the iris enables a smooth change of depth of field.

So if you have a composite NTSC feed of your video, this portable device can measure it and give you calibrated IRE readings, vectors for calibrating bars or color charts and more. All this off any 12v supply (AC adaptor included.)

Dual field Waveform. I prefer single field.

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Vectorscope on camera bars. Nice.

Audio, video, timecode, and control information is passed through a single FireWire cable, allowing you to record to disk and tape simultaneously. And when recording is complete, your footage is ready to edit instantly—no capturing, file transfer, or file conversion is required. FS-4 Portable DTE Recorders are compatible with a wide range of nonlinear editing systems. Ours is the 80 GB FS4 Pro HD.

With the FS-4Pro HD v2.0 firmware update, you can record 1080i-50/60 and 720p/30 clips in the native QT HDV file format. QT HDV clips can be imported directly into Apple Final Cut Pro without the need for capture or conversion first.

Say goodbye to realtime tape capture.

We have the FS4 ProHD 80gb

The business end. One for data. One for computer. We do not have the optional remote.

The charging port.

]]> http://blog.ieba.com/firestorefs4/feed/ 1 http://blog.ieba.com/datavideo-se800/ http://blog.ieba.com/datavideo-se800/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:19:59 +0000 IEBA http://blog.ieba.com/?p=224 I’ve used the SE-800 to produce Flavors of America for many seasons. We do this with as many as four FireWire cameras in to the mixer, and then FireWire back out to a DVCAM deck. We compared this to component video through the Sony DFS-700 broadcast video mixer and the SE-800 won- hands down. Cleaner, sharper, more vibrant images. It is visually indistinguishable from the digital tape recorded in the camcorder itself.

By hiring me with the mixer, you get someone very familiar with the setup and operation and can get you up and recording in the minimal amount of time with the highest quality picture and sound possible.If super critical engineers at PBS are happy with my work, you will be to.

It not only handles four video inputs, it has an additional black/color source.

It handles audio. It can adjust more than seven audio signals as well as master fade (no pan or EQ though).

It has several presets for effects, which I never use.

It has FOUR individual digital TBC’s to tweak black/color/tint/luminance for each of the four video inputs- digital or analogue.

Lots of wipes.

Proper use of pre-program bus and Take button.

Be sure to add the video scopes to be sure video meets critical specifications.It may look fine on the monitor, but the scope is the only real way to be sure of your video levels.

With the Firestore, you can record right to hard drive with the mixer’s FireWire output. For less than the price of a rental deck, and zero wait compared to real-time tape capture.

For more than the most basic audio needs, I highly recommend adding the Mackie audio mixer. It will handle more audio, make it sound better, and be able send it to more places- like stage monitors or IFB feeds.

SE-800 video & audio production center.

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I/O for the SE-800. Call with any questions.

I have one of these video mixers.

It is the DV models with four Firewire (DV/DVCAM) inputs and one Firewire output.

In use on the set of Flavors. Three cams & program monitor. PBS loves the footage from the SE-800. So will you.

B&H wants $4280 for the SE800DV (that’s the model with Firewire).

Mine is available for purchase for: $3150 in its ATA-style shipping case with power supply.
The pruchase / rental price also includes five 10-meter (33 foot, or so) 6-pin to 6-pin FireWire cables and 6-pin to 4-pin adaptors in a separate carry case.
This is an excellent package price. Shipping extra. Call 215-632-3283 for more information.

For rental, you supply the four matching source monitors and the program monitor, decks, etc.