Class one in any Film 101 course usually involves some kind of 'edit in camera' task. Like - forget loads of takes shot out of sequence, let's decide what we're gonna film, then film it in order, one take straight into the camera, take the film out, hit play: there's your film.

So what's the equivalent for class one on the Music Video 101 course?

If you were good. Like very good. It might end up like Nyle captured by Last Pictures. Filmed in one take, with the audio captured at the same time. The film is superb, Nyle's performance is superb, the singing and playing is superb... shame the song is a bit lame. But whatever - ENJOY:



Nyle "Let The Beat Build" from Nyle on Vimeo.



(Thanks to Alexandra Lexitricity for the recommend)

Hello to a new camera - Sony EX1

Exciting times in planet video. New editing system. New camera. New clients.

But let's start with new camera.

I have used the Sony EX1 camera three times in anger now, and I have only had it four days, so it's been a bit of a rush getting up to speed enough with it to feel secure enough to use it for serious jobs. That they were event filming jobs, adds to the pressure... as we all know - there is no second take. *

There is a huge buzz about the camera, and has been for a while since it came out. It uses Sony's SxS cards, there's no tape, and it leaps a couple of format levels from standard definition video - not just HDV but a higher type of High Definition called XDCAM.

There were three major issues (and this isn't going to be a 'review' as such - just my first impressions)

- getting to know the camera well enough (which would be the same for any new camera)
- getting to grips with a tapeless workflow
- switching from PC to Mac

The first is not as huge as it might seem, given that my previous main camera was also a Sony and this one is set up within the same paradigm, with a set of modifications that are interesting and useful, rather than irritating. Most of the keys you want are outside rather than buried in a menu. Not a standard layout (that would be asking too much of Sony), but one that is learnable perfectly easily.

If I didn't think I'd be comfortable with it, I wouldn't have used the camera - event stuff is way too demanding for that.

Knowing that there simply are not any tapes, never were any tapes, never will be... "Er, so what about my fail-safe archive?" is the first question that will occur to any camera operator, editor or producer (or, all three if you're like me). It's a breathless moment for anyone involved in video. It's a jump that happened has simultaneously (just about) with consumers and with professionals, and it's a huge liberation as well as a huge worry.

I'm fine with setting up a good data back up system, and am paranoid enough to know that only two external and one internal copy of the data is enough. However, a new format means new applications, making sure they work, that the workflow is clear and foolproof...

Actually the stakes are no higher than they were with tape, but they do feel dramatically more scary.

It doesn't help to think it through logically. After all, if a tape failed that's all the footage lost. If a unique copy of the data fails, that's all the footage lost. The only safe way to archive tape is to copy to tape or capture to data. The only way to safely archive data is to copy. Plus ca change. But still that cliff-edge feeling is there.

And what about that strange third reason - surely that has nothing to do with the camera, you might have thought. Well, there were a number of (obvious) reasons for the (partial) switch to Mac, but the clincher was the EX1, which I know might seem bizarre. Basically Final Cut Pro handles XDCAM well, and Premiere (my PC application) doesn't is the short story.

I ought to blog about Mac some time. Basically, even as a Mac user myself, I hate the whole "it just works" Mac thing. No it doesn't - no computer does. Sure it falls over less often, but it does still fall over. I'm going to be using PC and Mac aproximately 50/50, and not with the usual office / video split - but using both for both. Which is not my choice necessarily or a good thing necessarily - but it works for me.

The death of tape will, inevitably, be happening to everybody in video. It's already perfectly acceptable in many walks of technological existence, so in some respects video might seem a bit behind. But the sheer size of video data, and the need for a continual, frame-by-frame, verified, safe, secure flow of the stuff, has meant that computers have had to develop a lot to get us there.

So - I'll put this up, but will be adding my thoughts about the design of the camera, the price, the controls, the format, the workflow and geeky stuff like that in due course.


* One event combined Rory Stewart, Orlando Bloom, Pippa Small and my mate Kate, but that's another story.