2009
08.20
08.20
\” All American rejects on Myspace\”
One of many concerts I’ve shot at House of Blues can’t say I was proud of the lead singer on this one. I was the down front handheld camera as lead singer Tyson Ritter lays on the floor. He was totally doped up in front of his teenage audience see if you can tell? The HVX -200 makes pretty pictures however the user friendliness stinks I’d rather have a fullsize camera on my shoulder during “LIVE” shooting.
Jon,
I have a feeling the kid (Tyson) is pretty freaky even when he’s straight…he did throw off a Mansonish vibe. I thought he was hammered, too, but maybe he was just off his meds and in a manic state. Perhaps what he really needed was MORE drugs. LMAO. Bus tours are a grind, maybe he was just wrung out, exhausted and punchy. Even so, he performed well, made his cues, etc. The rest of the band looked pretty together, and turned in a solid performance.
As to the cameras…I don’t miss the fullsize weight, especially with the held overhead at arm’s length type shots Carey likes from the pits. The HVX-200 is pretty well thought out for that form factor, compared to some of the others. The small Canons (XL-H1 and similar) are so idiosyncratic I suspect they were designed by eight fingered aliens. My main issue with the Panasonics are the sucky LCDs and viewfinders. Sony is still the benchmark brand. What I’d like to see from one of them would be a small camera without all the “prosumer” compromises – weird little buttons and scrolly menus, etc. Why can’t manufacturers make a high end small formfactor camcorder with focus, zoom and iris rings on the lens barrel that are usable without having to defeat all those piddly consumer settings with buttons and menus? Something an operator can find controls in the dark by touch, on the fly, without running the risk of hitting the wrong button and screwing everything up. You know, a camcorder that’s a tool, not a toy. Surely there’s a viable market for that. Since I was shooting tights on the lead guitarist, I was trying to get a focus in near zero light most of the time on a moving target. It would be nice to have gain or a peaking adjustment on the viewfinders for these low light conditions.
I wish we could find footage of the Franz Ferdinand show or the Colby Caillat stuff. I so rarely get to see the finished product on the performances I shoot. When I’m working with you and Pat “banjo boy” Hawkes, I know you guys got my back. Carey’s a good director, and we have a great camera crew on these gigs. All that helps make the work rewarding. All things considered, though, don’t you think the HOB gigs beat driving a fullsize Sony mounted on a 72X9 lens from the back of a ballroom playing camera pong with a pacing executive?
Jeff
Thanks Jeff, a valid point a camera that’s a tool not a toy. I think camera’s are being designed by would be filmmakers that think single camera not multi-camera menu’s are not designed for on the fly when the show is getting started. Sure the HD look of panasonic is great but us old school camera guys need it on the shoulder for better control.
Panasonic HPX-300 offers that which I have recentley shot with for a client using a teleprompter. Very good and I liked the flip out viewfinder.
It occurred to me after my first post that a modular concept could work for the small camcorders- like the Red camera, only not as pricey. Some sort of base unit with different backs, VF modules and lenses that could be configured to the shooting environment, somewhere in the $5k – $8k price point. It’s a thought. The younger guys will push a demand for smaller/lighter stuff – they grew up with that. Who’d a thought back in the Orthicon tube days there’d ever be a video camera that could shoot an acceptable image in 1 lux lighting?