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Formats
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Is HDV the right format for my production?
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There really isn’t a ‘right format’ answer. Is it appropriate? Well, footage shot in HDV can look remarkably good, but you will be able to tell the difference between it and either film or ‘higher end’ HD formats. One thing is certain, shooting on HDV will most likely cost less for tape stock and equipment than any other high definition format.
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Can HDV be used to shoot Green Screen material?
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HDV compression is designed to place more of an emphasis on picture sharpness rather than color resolution. This means that material recorded in the HDV format will inherently not be as optimal for green screen matting as material recorded in an uncompressed format,
That said, I have done a number of green screen shoots in HDV with great success. Proper lighting of both foreground and background aspects of the green screen, combined with a number of lighting tricks, have contributed to this success.
Would the green screen have been better in a different format? Perhaps.
Would the matting process have gone quicker and easier from an uncompressed original? Undoubtedly.
Were the clients exceptionally pleased with the end result from HDV? Absolutely!
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Lighting
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The new cameras are really fast, right?
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Chip sensitivity on the new cameras is high, but most HD cameras need more light than their standard definition counterparts. To express it simply: Exposure is determined based on the amount of light landing on each pixel area of the chip. Larger pixel areas mean more light ‘seen’ by each pixel, so less light needed, hence a ‘faster’ chip. HD chips have more pixels in the same total chip area, so each individual pixel is smaller, so it (and hence the chip) needs more light. Thus HD chips will intrinsically require more light than standard definition ones.
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Bookings / Cancellations
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What is the fee if a job is postponed?
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Postponements and cancellations are handled the same way.
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Rates
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What is a normal day rate?
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Day rates vary based on the kind of work being done, the overall budget of the project, and ongoing relationships with clients. For work under a union contract, union rates and conditions apply. These terms provide a good starting point for any negotiation. That does not mean that an unrealistically underbid project will get a low rate quote. It does mean that we can work together to try to figure out a way to make everyone happy.
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