In wrapping up a three month project to to rebrand and design new identities for all eight, yes I said eight, of the regular programs produced by the American College of Cardiology, I’ve decided to break down the process into a detailed case study to provide you with a glimpse into my creative process. I’ll discuss the goals of the identities, creative approach, design phase, and finally animation and production of the elements into one cohesive package. I had never done a project of this size before. Sure I had put together numerous graphics packages for this client, or a show identity for that client, but never multiple identities for concurrent shows for the same client all at once. The project challenged me to look at the ACC brand holistically and develop a dynamic package that worked across multiple platforms.

Objectives

This task really was an enormous undertaking and there was a lot of pressure riding on it. ACC’s Creative Director had a vision for several years to give all of the regular programming some type of cohesive look that went beyond just slapping the ACC logo on completely different graphics packages. He wanted each of the shows to be “siblings in the same family” so that when members would watch any one of the shows, they would feel that it’s coming from the same place and at comparable quality to each of the other programs. Also, the identities had to be modern, slick, and feel dynamic to medical professionals and other consumers to whom the content was focused. So yeah…no pressure right? Boiled down, the objectives really came down to the following points:

• Unified look
• Shows are “siblings from the same family”
• Identity follows from logo design
• Modern and elegant
• Avoid “broadcast news” look
• Simple to add/change elements

In small corporate environments, motion designers usually don’t have much of a staff or a budget to work with. It was no different in this case. I also had only the summer to put the project together at the same time I produced several smaller pieces for other clients within the ACC. That’s just part of the creative challenge: How do I create something from almost nothing with no assistance? How do I work within the professional boundaries I’ve been given but still push the creative boundaries? When it comes down to it, I’ll let you in on a little secret. My toughest client…is me. Usually, my standards for my own work are well above anyone else’s expectations. If I set my mind to design something that when I look at it, I say “I like that. That looks good.” I’ll then have the confidence to pitch it as a concept. I can take the limitations and the expectations, and somewhere in between the two, concepts start to form.

With the objectives laid out, it was up to me to start putting some ideas together.

Concepts

The branding and design group who handles the still and print design work at the ACC had worked with the Creative Director to design all new logos for each of the shows. Following from the idea of keeping them together in the same family, the designers put together a logo incorporating the ACC seal and a unifying solid element, which I will refer to as “the bar”, and a unique solid color to represent each show.

The previous ACC shows had a very network/broadcast news feel to them. They were very organic with lots of gloss, glows and curved edges. These logos, in turn, were the exact opposite: hard-edged, solid colors, and vibrant. I followed suit in my conceptual designs because I liked the idea of each of our shows having a very modern look along the lines of Piers Morgan Tonight or HLN. I looked to HGTV, TLC, Discovery, and Bravo for inspiration.

Remember, whatever concept was picked had to work across each show…all eight of them. I wasn’t designing eight unique graphics packages, I was designing a universal package that could work with only slight variations (color, type, etc.) to each specific identity. That was really the biggest challenge to each concept. My first assumption was that the unique identifying factor to each show was the color. With that in mind, I was able to develop a concept where the main color could be changed for each show, thus having it’s own flavor. I felt strongly that a minimalist design would fit across shows with vastly different topics. Always keep it simple.

So why didn’t each show get its own identity? Two reasons. One: the Creative Director wanted visual unity and similarity between all ACC shows, as shown in the show logos. And two: Time and budget. ACC simply doesn’t have the resources to hire additional artists or take a single designer like myself offline for an entire year to develop eight unique show packages.

Though our shows were technically “news,” I felt the broadcast news look didn’t fit the modern corporate vibe ACC was trying to promote. I wanted the identities to be solid, have hard edges, and based on simple, flat geometries. The shows needed to see a fresh, revitalized look to help reinvigorate the programs and draw attention. So from that point, I started to put some style frames of the opens together. I like to start with the opens because all of the designs for the other elements flow from the opens. Here’s a sampling of the various concepts. In total, I put together about seven concepts, more than I was expecting. The following were the top three:

| Style Frame 1 | Style Frame 2 | Style Frame 3 |

Using the Heart Minute show as a base, this design represents an approach using bold colors mixed with some muted hues. The objects were to slide around with trackmattes revealing digital images pertaining to the show. A slight grain texture was added to give a slight illusion of depth.

| Style Frame 1 | Style Frame 2 | Style Frame 3 |

You’re probably thinking, “Hey, this looks very broadcast news, that’s not what he was talking about before!” After seeing the initial concept, there was some hesitation with the direction I was going because it was so radically different from the existing show packages. I was asked to create one that was more along the lines of traditional news identity. Ultimately, this one did not get picked, however we realized it would be a good fit for a rebrand of our news coverage of the annual meetings of the various cardiovascular societies.

| Style Frame 1 | Style Frame 2 | Style Frame 3 |

Initially, I was hesitant to even pitch this idea because it involved some budget and studio production time. After thinking about it, I figured what the heck. This concept revolved around the idea of looking at the show from an iPad’s point of view, where the video frame was the screen with which a person interacted. The design followed closely from an iOS/Android like user interface. After careful examination, it was determined this concept was the winner. The team really liked the idea of adding a live human element to the opens and having the elements look very much like a modern interface since so much of ACC’s media is consumed on a computer or mobile device. I have to admit, this was my favorite concept and I’m glad I pitched it. Plus, the ACC even kicked in the money to actually shoot needed elements in the studio. More on that later.

Elements

With the concept determined, it was now time to start designing some elements. I won’t go into the specific details of each element, but rather give a general overview of the process. Working with my team, we developed a detailed elements list for each show. We determined which of the elements needed to be animated, which needed to be animated but have a Photoshop template, and which were just Photoshop templates. At this point, the last major piece not found in the open concepts was developing a secondary color that would complement each show’s unique color. After thinking about it, the answer was obvious: Gray! The gray complement works across the board and gave nice contrast to the text.

Most of the elements needed some type of background. I wanted to contrast the solid objects with shallow-focus/macro still photography of medical objects or professionals to match the moving elements I would use in the opens. Thinkstockphotos.com was my best friend for several weeks as I scoured for just the right images. One thing that was apparent from early on was that the images and backgrounds needed to have lots of white to contrast with the design elements. White worked perfectly because the medical community has lots of white objects in it. Even photos that weren’t white, I was able to adjust and tint them to lighten them up. It started to give the elements this very clean and clinical look. Perfect!

In terms of workflow, I like to play it safe when it comes to making elements since I know from experience that changes can be made at the last minute. I have what many designers might call a “reverse workflow” in that I actually design all of my still elements in After Effects, then export the layers to a Photoshop document. I like working this way because it gives me the ability to animate the element if necessary down the line. I’ve found its saves me lots of time rather than creating it once in Photoshop, then having to bring that document into After Effects. It works for me.

Here’s a sampling of the various elements from across the eight shows. You can begin to see the unity of design and how the color becomes the defining element of the show.

| Cardiology Countdown | Heart Minute | ACC Update | Inside JACC | ACC Update CardioSource Splash |
| Inside Imaging Citation | Payment Innovations Partnership |

Shooting the Opens

In preparing to shoot the opens, I was actually able to construct a significant portion of the animation first. How was this possible? Well, in order to have the actors interact with these interfaces, I had to design, build, and animate the opens in their entirety. For directing the actors, I needed to know exactly where all of the actions were happening in the frame. By animating the opens first, I could match the actor’s hand positions to an overlay of the open in a studio monitor. Since the budget wasn’t big enough to bring in actors, I just pulled some ACC staff members for a few hours. It worked out great because I was able to show them how the animations would work and demonstrate the effect. I wouldn’t have been able to do that and have them understand it with only storyboards and style frames.

Let me break it down for you:

Step One: Animate Open Template

I picked one show to animate the full open. Since each of the opens was going to have the same look and movement, I just needed one to use as reference. I worked on the animation in After Effects until it was the correct length and everything was timed.

Step Two: The Directing Dilemma

Even though I had the ability to playback the animation with alpha on the DDR in our studio’s Tricaster, that didn’t help because I needed to see a timeline with keyframes so I could anticipate when to give direction to the actors. So I’m sitting at my desk trying to figure out how to solve this problem. Then it dawned on me: I could just take iPhone video of my computer monitor showing the composition and timeline playing back in real-time! Perfect! Problem solved. Genius points for the day.

Step Three: The Glass Touch

Having the actors touch air to simulate a surface just never looks right. Giving the actors an actual surface to touch and added realism I needed. I purchased a large sheet of Lexan to hang in the studio. My team drilled a few holes in the glass for mounting. A few c-stands, some clamps, and we were good to go. The hardest part about shoot with a piece of glass is keeping it free of smudges, fingerprints, and dust. We had to spray down and wipe the glass every two or three takes.

Step Four: Shallow DOF

It was important to have a shallow depth-of-field so that the glass surface and the actor’s fingers were in focus with their body just slightly soft. I used the Panasonic AF-100 with a 50mm Zeiss prime at f/4. I dropped a white backdrop behind the talent lit the setup with some soft fluorescent light.

The shoot was a success. I did several variations in the actor’s timing for safety. Everything worked out great. Here’s some pics from the set:

| Set | Camera Setup | Glass Close-up | Screen Interaction 1 | Screen Interaction 2 | Monitor Assist |

Music and Sound Design

Once all the animation was completed for the opens, I moved on to selecting music tracks and working on the sound design. With each open having its own unique visual cue (its color), it was decided that the music for each show would be unique as well. Again, I didn’t want it to have a broadcast/network news feel. I felt strongly that the music should complement the visual style. I looked for tracks that were soft, minimalist, and “airy.” In instrument terms, for me, that meant acoustic guitars and light pianos. ACC’s 615 Music library did the trick. Once the music was selected, it was onto the effects.

I needed to have some beeps and swishes when components moved across the screen or actions occurred. In a real iOS-like environment, objects usually don’t make a sound for every action or else it would get really annoying. On screen, however, it just feels empty without any effects. The trick is to find a happy medium between being too sparse or cramming too many effects into the piece.

I know enough about sound design to do the basics. I know what I like and what I don’t like and can usually figure out a way to make it happen. The biggest challenge for me seems to be actually locating the correct base effects. Many of the free libraries, the tech or electronic effects have a very 1980s computer feel to them where it sounds like designer gets a little crazy with the synthesizer. ACC has a subscription to Soundsnap which is where I found most of the effects. It’s really just a matter of setting aside a large portion of time to search for and audition different effects. Soundsnap has thousands of effects and they aren’t always labeled in the manner I might label them, so it can take longer to find just the right sound. After a day or two of searching and dropping in different effects, I assembled a soundscape that really worked with the opens.

Putting It All Together

Once all of the elements and the opens were created and rendered with sound design, it was my job to create an Adobe Premiere Pro template project for each show with all of the elements imported and setup in the project for the editor. This process meant organizing all of the elements into separate folders on the shared graphics drive and then replicating that folder structure within Premiere Pro. In my workflow, it’s important that bins correspond to folders with the same name on the share drive so it’s easier for an editor to find files if he/she needs to import additional assets or relink media.

Final Thoughts

Having never done an identity package this big before, I was initially intimidated because the hardest part of the process is wrapping your head around just how to turn the objectives into several concrete ideas, then develop a single concept that meets and fulfills those objectives. ACC took somewhat of a risk with this identity because it was a radical departure from their previous identities and it was a move away from a news look to a modern corporate style. I believe they made the right choice and I’m happy to have been given the opportunity to take their shows to the next level. The responses from the members and ACC staff has been overwhelmingly positive and they are really excited. Nailed it.

1:00 | American College of Cardiology | Writer, Producer, Editor

CardioSmart is a National Care Initiative designed to empower patients to take ownership of their lifestyle and make healthy and informed choices when it comes to diet, exercise, and medical treatments. This promo, intended for potential sponsors, donors, and stakeholders, presents the vision of a healthier and active community through the tools provided by the CardioSmart program. Working from a limited budget, this project is a combination of stock and provided footage emphasizing the existing programs, sponsors, and partnerships.

When I first saw the CardioSmart logo, I immediately wanted to do something to play off the light bulb theme. We had this old desk lamp laying around the office, so I thought it would be cool if a hand reached up to turn on the light bulb in the logo. We spray painted the gold pull chain silver and shot it against greenscreen for compositing. It’s a really simple effect, yet it adds a nice “human” touch to further connect with the CardioSmart programs.

12:13 | Nature’s Best Photography | Producer, Motion Designer

This museum video serves as a companion to the Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice Awards Exhibition, currently at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History here in Washington, DC. Having done the same video in for the 2009 exhibition, I wanted to create a fresh look within the established branding. Last year’s video had a more flat look, so this year I chose to give this piece added depth by utilizing a coverflow-like design and glassy reflections in the slideshow. The result was an elegant was display platform that supports the beauty and serenity of these incredible images. The piece is playing continuously on two Sony HDTVs in the museum gallery. Side note: I got a a kick out of adding the sound design to the opening GEICO gecko animation. I mean…that’s the GEICO gecko. Just give him 15 minutes and he’ll save you 15% or more on car insurance.

If you’re in DC between now and September 25th, I encourage you to check out the exhibition. The prints in the gallery are not featured in the video, so if you thought those were good, wait until you see the exhibit photos up close. They’re stunning. Also, anyone can submit to the awards competition, so if you happen to catch a great nature photo, submit it at www.naturesbestphotography.com.

0:48 | American College of Cardiology

Concept: Morgan Bramlet
3D Modeling: Avinash Hegde
3D Animation: Jeff Heibein
2D Animation/Compositing: Matthew S. Nagy
Editing/Sound Design: Justin Schauble

The opening video to the American College of Cardiology’s Opening Session at their ACC.11 Annual Scientific Sessions Meeting. Creative Director Morgan Bramlet wanted a NFL-inspired tour de force opening to wow the 3000+ people in the audience. Glowing and thunderous light streaks take the viewer on a roller coaster ride through the landmarks of New Orleans as they reveal the keywords that brand the meeting, building up to a crescendo of fireworks over the city.

One word for this project: Awesome. Another word: Blur, as in “it was all a blur.” I had just finished up the Lifelong Learning video when I jumped right into this one so that we could make the deadline. Comprised of a mix of 3D and 2.5D elements, my primary role was to work on the shots that weren’t being entirely done in 3D, those being the opening shots where the clouds part and the streaks approach the city and the final shots where the streaks form the logos and the fireworks finale. Since I was working in tandem with the Maya Animator Jeff Heibein, I had to carefully match the streaks he created in Maya using Trapcode Particular. This video, which took about 4 days of work on my part and only about 4 weeks from concept to completion, marks a career milestone as I was finally able to justify the use of explosions (fireworks) in a corporate video! My boy Michael Bay would be proud. Next year: Giant robots.

1:14 | American College of Cardiology

Winner | 2011 Telly Award, Silver | Online Video – Education
Winner | 2011 Telly Award, Silver | Online Video – Promotional

Lead Motion Designer: Matthew S. Nagy
Asst. Motion Designer: Matthew M. Zappile

Designed for the American College of Cardiology’s “Revolutionizing Lifelong Learning” project, this sample of graphics from the video supports its conceptual look at the organization’s learning initiatives and the importance of continuing education for its membership. Initially, the body of the video was to include only interviews and narration. With location shooting out of the question due to budget restraints, I pitched the idea of graphics-based “broll” built around live elements. It was important to focus on the human interaction, yet still maintain a conceptual look and represent all of the programs, classes, and learning opportunities that could have actually been shot. The stylized whitespace with a coherent color palette solidified the video as concept piece representing the present and the not-so distant future.

In planning for these sequences, I worked with the brilliant storyboard artist Jerry Gaylord as part of previsualization process. Once the key sequences were developed, it took just three days of shooting on greenscreen with multiple cameras and 13 actors to capture all of the elements necessary. Some portions were shot as traditional coverage where backgrounds and graphical elements were just dropped in and other elements were shot planar so crowd replication could be performed. For the first time, I was able to achieve overhead shots by having a 25-ft. Jimmy Jib in the studio.

With a quick delivery schedule, I enlisted the help of fellow motion graphics guru Matt Zappile to design and animate the visual interfaces based on my concept drawings while I handled the animation of the actual sequences. Red Giant Software’s PlaneSpace plugin assisted in all the crowd replication sequences and Video Co-pilot’s Sure Target plugin allowed me to create silky and precise camera moves. In total, the final video contains over six minutes of animation.

Have a Plan: Pre-Production

You’re going to shoot a video with a DSLR, the AF-100, or both. What do you need to think about in planning stages. Let’s assume you have a great DP who’s taking care of all the camera specifics like lenses, support accessories, and production gear. Below is a list of things you as the Producer/Director/Post-Supervisor need to think about to avoid those “gotchas” that can really dampen your day:

• What is the shooting format? Finishing format? You would be amazed how many times I’ve showed up on set or worked a gig and there was a lengthy discussion about the format of the video. Plan ahead and know what your requirements are before you step on set and the dollars are quickly burning away. Do you need to shoot 1080p? Are you finishing in 720p or SD, but want a 1080p master? 30fps or 24fps? Is this piece destined for broadcast, the web, DVD, all three, or some combination?
• Mixing Formats: I was recently on a shoot for the American College of Cardiology recently where we were shooting on a Canon 7D for interviews, a JVC GY-HM700 for broll, and a HVX-200 on a small steadicam rig. The piece was shot in 1080p24, destined to be finished in 720p. However, what I had to take into consideration was to set the HVX-200 to 1080pA24 mode so that FCP would remove the pulldown for editing in a native 23.98 sequence. Had I not known to do that and left the camera in regular 1080p24, I would have spend a LOT of time in post trying to remove that 60i pulldown. In summary, if you’re mixing formats, make sure that the codecs and framerates will all play nice in the same timeline OR can efficiently get that point.
• Audio: Shooting on a DSLR? You’ll need a way to record some high-quality audio. I recommend a Zoom H4N audio recorder. It will let you plug in your XLR mics and record to .wav files suitable for editing. Don’t forget to use a clapboard before your take so you can sync it up film style in post.
• Multi-Format Card Readers: Let’s say you’re shooting on the Canon 7D and you’re recording audio to the Zoom H4N like I suggest (learning are you, young Padawan). You’ll need a way get that media into your computer. Well, the 7D shoots to CompactFlash and the Zoom records to SD. Uh-oh. You need two card readers or one that can handle both. Try the Lexar UDMA Dual-Slot USB Reader. Shooting P2 as well? Try the Panasonic AJ-PCD2GPJ, a single slot USB P2 drive.
• Backup: Unless your media is on two physical drives at the same time, then it’s not backed up. Your media is the most important part of your shoot. Don’t risk losing it by only copying it to one location and hope the hard drive doesn’t fail. The solution that’s worked best for me is to use a RAID-1 backup solution, such as a Guardian MAXimus Mini. It’s a RAID-1 drive, so once you copy your data over to it, you’ve automatically got two copies. Plus it’s bus-powered so it can run off your laptop’s USB or FireWire 800 port.

On the Set: Production

You’ve gotten everything together and you’ve made it to the set. The cameras are set, talent is in place, and you’re ready to roll. If you’re a DP or even a Director, keep the following in mind when shooting with a DSLR:

• Shoot a Flat Image: If you’re going to be color grading your project in post-production, the editor and colorist will thank you for shooting with a flat curve. Normally, a camera’s out-of-the-box settings are meant to give it a nice contrast and brilliant color. However, in doing so, the camera will often crush the blacks, clip the whites, or oversaturate the image with color to the point where you will loose pixel information. If you turn down your camera’s settings to a more neutral setting, where your gamma curve is much more flat, you’ll retain information that would have otherwise been lost.
• White Balance: The mindset should be the same when shooting DSLR or AF-100 video. The nice thing about both those types of cameras is that they have the ability to “dial in” the white balance by specifying the number of degrees Kelvin in increments of 100. So if I’m shooting  in daylight, I’ll set my white balance to 5600K, tungsten to 3200K, and mixed lighting to somewhere in between. It’s important to get that white balance close. It will save your editor or colorist a lot of time in post trying to get those facial tones to look natural.
• Avoid Moiré: I mentioned in the previous post that shooting patterns, like a brick wall, with a DSLR can cause some unwelcome aliasing and pixel binning. Avoid these situations when possible. Make sure subjects don’t wear finely detailed clothing, for example.
• Record Time: Remember, you’ve only got 12 minutes of record time on a DSLR, so use it wisely and prepare for it. If you’re interviewing someone and you think the subject’s answer might get cut off, stop the recording before that question is asked.
• 48 kHz Audio: If you’re using a portable audio recorder like the Zoom H4N, make sure that it’s recording audio at 48 kHz, not 44.1 kHz. DSLRs like the Canon 7D record audio at 48 kHz, so you’re recording device needs to match. If they don’t match, your audio will fall out of sync quickly during editing.
• Slate It! Even if you’re recording to a camera, like the AF-100, that shoots sync sound, it’s still a good practice to slate so you’ve got some basic information for the editor. Don’t have a slate? Clap your hands together. Have slate clap-a-phobia but have an iPad? Try the DSLR Slate app. It allows you to put in all your camera’s relevant information, displays a color chart, and even makes a loud clap sound when you tap it.
• Create Disk Images: When you’re finished shooting and want to transfer the memory card, it’s best to create a disk image of that card to store on the hard drive. Creating a disk image preserves the exact file structure of the card so that it will work with, for example, FCP’s Log & Transfer.

In the Edit Room: Post-Production

There are many options for how you edit your footage. Personally, I prefer Final Cut Pro, but other products like Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere are excellent alternatives. Regardless of your edit platform preference, there’s a process to be followed if you want to minimize your headaches and maximize creative time.

Premiere Pro: If you’re editing with Premiere, then you’re in luck because Premiere is one of the few NLEs that will handle AVCHD footage natively! You heard right, just import those DSLR files right into your timeline and go to town. Now, there’s always a catch. Although Premiere can handle the footage natively, your system may still experience some lag and slowdown due to the nature of the AVCHD codec. Also, if you plan to do some heavy grading, add lots of effects, or mix multiple layers together, it’s still best to transcode your footage to ProRes. As I mentioned in the previous post, the AVCHD codec is very processor intensive because it doesn’t store information for every single frame, thus if you make a cut or add an effect, it has to recalculate how that frame is built. If you transcode to a more robust codec, like ProRes, your system will function much faster and you won’t experience any severe slowdowns.

Avid Media Composer: Avid does not handle AVCHD natively, so it’s best to transcode to DNxHD or Avid MXF. Ff you’re lucky enough to have MC5, it now handles ProRes! For transcoding, try Offloader from VideoToolShed. It will transcode into a specific format and verify the data all in one step.

Final Cut Pro: Apple’s NLE doesn’t handle AVCHD footage in it’s native state too well either. In fact, you’ll probably see the infamous spinning beach ball of death soon after you try to put any of your raw footage in the timeline. The answer? Transcode of course. What solutions are there for FCP users? Here’s a few:

• AVCHD Plugin: This is a built-in feature of FCP. In the Log & Transfer window, if you click on the preferences icon, you’ll see that you can choose a number of different ProRes formats when importing AVCHD footage. Choose the one that best fits your workflow.
• Canon E1 Plugin: This FREE FCP plugin allows you to import and transcode footage from your Canon DSLR all in one step. Just use Log & Transfer as you normally would and select which flavor of ProRes you want to use from the preferences tab. You can find the Canon E1 Plugin on Canon’s site. Select your operating system and you’ll find it in the list.
• Compressor: Apple’s compression program will transcode your footage, as a batch, to the format of your choice. Maybe your need to convert it to a totally different format and send the raw footage to a client? Compressor is perfect for this task.
• MPEG Streamclip: This FREE program from Squared 5 will convert your footage to any format you would like as well. Give it a shot. Works on both Mac and PC.
• Conform Your Footage: Did you shoot slow-mo or fast-mo? Bring your clips into Cinema Tools, change the frame rate, and save it. The metadata will be changed and now your NLE will read the footage at your editing framerate.

In Depth: Magic Bullet Grinder

This great application from Red Giant Software has some great features that the others listed above do not.

• Timecode: Grinder will let you add a preset timecode to your footage. Arrange your clips in the order you want. Specify the timecode for the first clip and Grinder will run the timecode across all of the successive clips.
• Conform Your Footage: Need to change the framerate of slow-mo or fast-mo clips? No need add an extra step or an extra program. Just select the clip and set your editing framerate.
• Transcode: Select your desired codec for editing.
• Create Proxies: Save some space and processor power by editing with a low-res proxy. Grinder can automatically create proxy files for editing. Nice!
• Want TC Burn-in? Just select it.
• 720p Upconvert: Did you shoot some 720p footage that you want to mix with 1080p? Grinder can upconvert during transcode so FCP won’t have to render it.

Red Giant Software has a nice video tutorial on Magic Bullet Grinder. It’s a pretty nice software package for only $49.

Sync It, Fix It, & Color It

Sync Fast: I know what you’re thinking…that shooting with a DSLR means you have to go in and manually sync all those clips. It will take forever! Not so if you use a great plugin from Singular Software called PluralEyes that automatically syncs double system sound. You’ve shot footage with a DSLR with reference audio and recorded clean audio to an external recorder. Just drop both those tracks in the timeline and PluralEyes will analyze the waveforms of those tracks automatically move them into sync. It’s that easy. It works so well that if you forgot to clap, it will probably be able to sync it anyway. It’s available for FCP, Avid, and Premiere Pro. $149. Very cool!

CMOS Skew: CMOS cameras are subject to vertical skew, or the so-called “jello” effect. Since CMOS sensors utilize a rolling shutter which reads from top to bottom (whereas a CCD chip reads the entire chip simultaneously), there can be some weird effects from fast-moving objects or quick pans. If you know about this phenomenon, then you know to avoid it when shooting. If you can’t and need to use a shot, the Foundry has a great plugin, RollingShutter, for Adobe After Effects to fix this problem. Instead of me explaining it, I’ll hand it over to the team at the Foundry:

Color Grading: If you’re lucky enough to have the budget for a professional colorist, you can get some really amazing results from DSLR and AF-100 video. If you need to do the color work yourself, you’ve got a plethora of options. I’m going to touch on a few:

• Use a Calibrated Display: In my opinion, this isn’t optional. No matter where you video is going, you need to have a reference from which to work. A calibrated broadcast display will show you the true nature of your video. If you can get your colors where you want them on that monitor, chances are it’s going to look good everywhere. I use a display from Flanders Scientific. Hands down, they’ve got the best bang for the buck. Plus they continually offer firmware updates with new features. I can’t think of any other companies who offer that perk!
• Apple Color: Seemless integration with FCP. There’s lots of flexibility here, but the learning curve might be a bit steep. For the price and the feature set, you can’t beat it.
• Magic Bullet Colorista II: Red Giant Software’s beefed-up 3-way Color Corrector for FCP. It allows you far more control over the image, add power masks, and perform primary, secondary, and master corrections. Check it out here.
• Magic Bullet Looks: Want to add a popular feature film or TV look to your footage? How about a very specific color treatment. If you need to do it fast, as I often do, I rely on Looks to make my footage pop. This FCP plugin comes with its on sub-application. Just apply it to your clip and it fires up the window with several dozen presets you can customize until you find that desired look.

Save It: Archiving

Once you’re finished with your project, it’s best to export a self-contained QuickTime of the final project. You might also want to export a “clean” version, free of all graphics and overlays. Also, create a media-managed version of your FCP project, so you can come back to it if necessary. It never fails that a client might come to you a year later and say, “Hey remember that video you did, I’d like to make a few changes to it.” That way you’ll have a version to go back to.

You’ll want to store it somewhere that is secure. Personally, I use a Drobo FS,which I wrote about in this post a few months back. It’s a great solution and it really helps me sleep at night knowing my footage is secure. Seriously…it does! If you’re a bigger business you might look into a LTO solution as, ironic as this sounds, tape is the best backup solution for the tapeless workflow.

Conclusion

I didn’t cover everything in these two posts, but I hope they gave you a better insight so you can make informed decisions when working with DSLRs or the new Panasonic AF-100.

Last week, Matt Gottshalk of McGee Digital Media (above) and I spoke at a TIVA-DC event regarding the workflows when shooting with DSLRs and the new Panasonic AF-100. There was great interest from the community about these cameras and how best to work with them, from planning for a shoot all the way through post-production. The following is part one of a two part blog post recapping our presentation. This post will cover the tech and background of DSLRs and the Panasonic AF-100. The next entry will feature some additional tips, tricks, and recommendations we didn’t cover in the presentation. I would like to thank Matt Gottshalk for his years of DP experience and familiarity with the equipment and field production, as well as the resources found in the book he co-authored, From Still to Motion: A Photographer’s Guide to Creating Video with your DSLR.

If you missed the presentation or are craving some more info, make sure your tray tables are in their upright and locked position. We’re about to take-off, headed for the land of camera workflow awesomeness.

AVCHD Revealed

So just what is this AVCHD codec that these cameras shoot with? Here’s some terminology so you can impress your friends at cocktail parties:

• AVCHD = Advanced Video Coding High Definition
• AVC = MPEG4 Part 10 = H.264

Most DSLRs and the new AF-100 shoot to the AVCHD format. Originally, the codec was developed for delivery of content. It is very processor intensive to work with in its native form and can bring your favorite NLE to a halt or the dreaded crash during an edit (more on this in the next post). So why are engineers implementing a delivery codec as an acquisition format? There are two basic reasons. The first is that AVC is incredibly efficient and produces amazingly high-quality images with relatively low file sizes. Second, the H.264 specification has been widely adopted in the industry. It is supported on the web in the new HTML5 specs and works very well with most mobile devices. All videos on YouTube, Vimeo, and other popular video-sharing sites are re-encoded to H.264 if not already in that format when uploaded. Even most Blu-ray discs are encoded using AVCHD compression. I also suspect that it is probably cheaper to implement AVCHD instead of AVC-Intra or XDCAM EX, which are proprietary codecs.

A Popular DSLR: The Canon 7D

An informal survey of the 50+ people in attendance at the TIVA-DC event showed that over half of the audience either owned or had shot video on a DSLR. Here’s a quick tech-spec breakdown of probably the most popular video DSLR, the Canon 7D:

• Utilizes a CMOS sensor, APS-C size (slightly smaller than a S35mm film frame)
• Records AVCHD at 45-48 Mbps, 4:2:0
• Selectable ISO: Sensitivity can be set between 100 and 6400
• Formats: 720p60, 1080p30, 1080p24
• Storage: Single CompactFlash card
• Mini-HDMI video output in full 1080p resolution (with watermark)
• Stereo mini audio input (no manual audio level control)
• Can use with Canon or Nikon still lenses (with the proper mount), but PL lenses might require some extra work or a body modification.

DSLR cameras with the ability to record HD video formats are a great feature, but the one thing you have to remember about a DSLR is that it is a STILL camera first. Most of the features, engineering, and refinements are focused on the quality of the still image. DSLR video was originally designed so that photo journalists could shoot a few seconds of video to complement their images for use on news websites. No one ever saw the revolution in DSLR video until people discovered the relative ease of shooting high-quality images at the fraction of the cost of a 35mm style or high-end EFP setup.

DSLR Video: The Good

DSLR video has essentially turned the industry on its head and made content producers, camera manufacturers, and even clients rethink video almost from the ground up. With infiltration of DSLRs comes a laundry list of positives, some of those being:

• Great Latitude: There are nearly 12 stops of dynamic range on the Canon 7D
• Excellent Color Rendition: You’ll get a beautiful color palette with these cameras
• Small Form Factor: Where no other camera has gone before!
• Unobtrusive There are advantages to having a video camera that doesn’t look like a video camera.
• Lenses: You can use of a variety of still lenses from almost any manufacturer with an inexpensive adapter.
• Cost: A DSLR rig can cost thousands of dollars less than a functional video camera rig.

All of the above are great reasons to purchase a DSLR for video work. You might even consider such a camera as a “B Cam” or even for a very specific look. Whatever the reason might be, it’s clear that DSLR video is here to stay for the time being.

DSLR Video: The Not-So-Good

You might thing that DSLRs are too good to be true. I wouldn’t go that far, but I want to point some of the challenges when shooting video with a DSLR. Notice how I did not say disadvantages. There are plenty of people out there who shoot with DSLRs on a daily basis and find them completely functional for their needs. However, like I said before, there are considerations that need to be taken when shooting video with a device that was not built for a production environment.

• Overheating: When shooting continuous video, the camera can shut down because the processors get too hot. If you’re going to be shooting outside, flag it off or even have a second body so you can trade-up when you encounter this situation.
• Ergonomics: A DSLR body doesn’t have the form factor of a traditional video camera. You’ll probably have to spend the money to buy additional rigging and support accessories to make it functional in production.
• Moiré and Aliasing: Because of the way a DSLR creates HD images from a large sensor, it can create some pixel binning and moiré patterns. For example, shooting a brick building might prove challenging as you will get some unwelcome artifacts. DSLRs like the Canon 7D skip every other line on the sensor when creating the 1920×1080 HD image, so it essentially “throws away” pixels, hence the aliasing.
• Record Limit: You can only record 12 minutes at a time on many DSLRs including the Canon 7D. If you’re shooting cine-style, this might not bother you, but if you want to use a DSLR to shoot an interview, both you an your subject might find it annoying that you have to stop and start the recording every 12 minutes.
• Timecode: You need timecode? You won’t find it here. Most NLEs use the camera’s time-of-day function and convert it to timecode, but it’s not a user selectable function.
• No ND Filters: Planning on shooting outside? You’ll want to invest in a mattebox and a set of glass ND filters to knock down that bright light so you’re not shooting at a f/32.
• Sound: You’re going to need a separate solution to capture quality audio. The camera’s internal microphone can really only be used a reference track, so you’ll want to look into an external recorder and shoot sync sound just like you would with a film camera.

If you can work around these issues, a DSLR is a viable solution for many production situations. It might not be the camera for every single shoot, but then again no camera is. You have to examine the situation and pick the camera that works the best. Remember, sometimes renting is more worthwhile than buying!

The AF-100: Panasonic’s Answer to DSLRs

It had to happen eventually. Someone was going to rise to the occasion and take the best parts of DSLR video and merge then with all the benefits of a traditional video camera. Well my friends, Panasonic was the first to table with their new AF-100. Let’s look at some of the features of this new camera:

• Utilizes a CMOS sensor, Micro 4/3 size (slightly smaller than Canon’s APS-C)
• Records AVCHD at 24 Mbps, 4:2:0
• Selectable ISO: Sensitivity can be set between 200 and 3200
• Formats: 720p/24, 720p30, 720p60, 1080p24, 1080p30, 1080p60 (yes, it’s one of the only cameras on the market that will overcrank, aka shoot slow-mo, at true 1080p)
• Storage: Dual SD card
• 8-bit 4:2:2 HD-SDI and HDMI video output suitable for recording to an external device
• Composite video output
• Dual XLR input for two-channel audio recording
• Line/Mic selectable with phantom power
• Full manual control of audio levels with metering
• SMPTE timecode
• LTC timecode for synchronizing
• Built-in optical ND filter wheel
• Optical low-pass filter for elimination of moiré and aliasing
• Can use with Canon, Nikon, M4/3, or PL lenses (with proper mounts which are accepted without any body modification)

So pop quiz…what did you notice from that list? If you said “Looks more like the specs for a video camera,” then you win (sorry no prizes today, just bragging rights). Basically what Panasonic did was take the form factor of its HVX-200, add a large sensor, and give it the ability to use interchange lenses. This is a big deal. I suspect there will be more cameras like this on the market soon, including Sony’s upcoming PMW-F3.

What’s that? You want the AF-100 to go up against the RED One? Then you’re in luck:

Quite a comparison. Much like DSLRs, the AF-100 has great dynamic range and excellent color rendition, and the video signal is very clean at high ISOs.

You want more? Here’s a side-by-side test with the AF-100 and the Canon 7D, starring Matt Gottshalk:

The most interesting thing I found about this test is when I compared the AF-100 recorded to its native AVCHD via SD card vs. the KiPro via the HD-SDI port, the footage was nearly identical (we recorded to both the camera and KiPro simultaneously). Looking at it on my broadcast monitor, there was virtually no difference in the waveform or vectorscope display. The AF-100′s implementation of AVCHD is quite robust.

One Camera To Rule Them All?

As with all cameras, like DSLRs, there are also considerations that need to be taken into account when shooting with the AF-100. It’s not going to be perfect for every situation, so you might want to think what you need from this camera before you jump and order one. A few things Matt and I want to point out about the AF-100:

• Cost: At $4795, it’s significantly more than a DSLR, but then again, there are more video-oriented features.
• Four Channel Audio: If you’re used to shooting on P2 or recording four channels of audio, you’re not going to find that here. The AF-100 only records two channels, so if you need some extra channels, you’ll probably need to either mix it down or use an external recorder.
• Ergonomics: You won’t be able to get this one into the same spaces a DSLR might fit.
• ENG: Want to do run-and-gun shooting with this camera? Might be hard because there’s no way to control the zoom of the lenses with via a traditional should mount setup. Also, you might have to rig it out at additional cost to make it comfortable for hand-held situations.
• Codec: 24 Mbps AVCHD might not sound like it holds up, bit it’s a very efficient implementation. Still there are trade-offs, namely the transcoding time in post-production.
• Greenscreen: If you’re going to do serious chroma key work, consider looking into a solution that shoots at least 4:2:2 or use an external recorder to record the 8-bit 4:2:2 signal from the HD-SDI tap.
• Electronic Lenses: If you have some of the newer Canon EOS still lenses without a manual aperture ring, you’re out of luck (for the moment) until a mount is released that allows electronic aperture control from the camera’s iris wheel. Birger is releasing one at NAB 2011.

Sensor Comparison

Courtesy of Hot Rod Cameras, the above is a comparison of some common image size/sensor types on the market today.

On the Next Exciting Episode…

The next post will cover some tips, tricks, and recommendations for when planning to go into production and post-production where a DSLR and/or an AF-100 is your primary acquisition.

0:15 | Creative Liquid Productions, ESI | Motion Designer

I love doing quick projects. They are a nice break from the multi-month epics. For this piece, the client wanted something elegant and simple. As always, Creative Liquid Productions always gives tremendous creative flexibility. They needed a Top 10 list of business trends where each number in the countdown was an individual slate with an alpha wipe. Based on the bold colors from ESI’s branding manual, I chose to use the diagonal shapes to create the wiping effect and bring on the elements of the countdown. A texture, drop shadows, and a vignette added the much needed illusion of depth. Nothing fancy here, just clean and elegant.

Play Reel

2:10 | American College of Cardiology | Credits: Editor, Motion Designer

Here’s the latest show reel highlighting the work of the Digital Media Production team at the American College of Cardiology. Having produced nearly 800 videos in 2010, this reel shows the diversity and quality of content produced for the 28,000 member cardiologists and stakeholders across the country. With this project, breaking down the format of the reel was the first step. It had to be short, dynamic, and cover a range of programming styles. Once the format was in place, I went with a modern rock/U2-ish sounding track from which to build an editing rhythm. As with any reel, the biggest challenge is choosing what to include and what to leave on the edit room floor.

Once the edit was in the place, the next component was a motion graphics package to bring it all together. This season, I got my fiancée NHL Center Ice so she could enjoy her Atlanta Thrashers games on TV, so I’ve been watching a lot of sports graphics packages. The graphics for this reel found some inspiration from the ESPN circular design. It also kinda looks like a Star Trek transporter pad, now that I think of it. I washed the background with strong, vibrant colors to make the section headers pop from the edit. A simple camera move and “unfolding” text complements the elegant design of the CVN logo.

Here’s the Breakdown:

Henry A. Wallace: An Uncommon Man Teaser | Gold Award – Program/Series Promo under 10K
USPS Field Updates 2010 Open | Silver Award – Motion Graphics under 10K
Complicated Order | Bronze Award – Motion Graphics under 10K
USPS “I Am” Campaign | Bronze Award – Internal Communications under 25K

Unfortunately, I couldn’t be there as I was out of town, but I was getting text updates the whole night from a bunch of friends. Sounded like it was a great time and I hope to be back again next year.