Panasonic Ag-dvx100b User manual

PANASONIC

AG-DVX100B

|b a s i c |

HOW TO

shoot like

a PRO

Is this thing on?

Easy-to-follow chart for successful sound

steps for

avoiding

overexposure

RULES

what’s

allowed,

what’s not

CLASS CURRICULUM FREE

Northwest Community Television

763.533.8196

www.nwct.org

over

Your best shoot ever!

A pre-production checklist

HELP!

7 common

problems

solved

CONTRIBUTOR

“In the DVX100B, you have

a tool respected by profes-

sional lmmakers around

the world. My hope is that

this manual enables you to

get past the buttons and

dials and focus on what

really matters—your story!”

Ben Watne, holding per-

haps the shortest stint as

studio manager in NWCT

history— seven months in

2006—put together this

curriculum as one of his

last assignments. We only

hope that his quick de-

parture from our hallowed

halls was not caused by this

strenuous exercise!

design Tamisha Touray

Policies

What’s allowed,

what’s not.

Checkout form

Lose it. Break it.

Buy it.

Power

DC or AC? You can’t

shoot without it!

Tape

Choosing, loading,

and recording on

the right tape.

Pre-production

checklist

Be prepared for

anything on shoot

day!

Talent release

Just in case—no one

likes being sued.

Default settings

Resetting default

menu settings just

might solve your

technical problems.

HELP!

Need to troubleshoot? Walk

through seven typical prob-

lems and their solutions.

SOUND

Everything you need to

know about selecting sound

inputs and setting and

monitoring audio levels.

Consult the easy-to-follow

chart for successful setup—

you’ll never have to ask “Is

this thing on?” again!

VIDEO IMAGE

Know how to determine

your dominant light source

and set the neutral density

lter, white balance, and

iris level. Then nd out

what zebras have to do

with video—zoos aren’t the

only place to nd them!

BETTER SHOOTING

Wonder how the pros do it?

All the basics and more are

covered.

MICROPHONES

NWCT has a variety of

microphones available for

checkout—all of which are

shown here. You’ll know

exactly which mic to use for

your taping situation.

on the cover

How to shoot like a pro

Is this thing on? Easy-to-

follow chart for successful

sound

4 steps for avoiding overex-

posure

Rules: what’s allowed, what’s

not

Your best shoot ever! A pre-

production checklist

Help! 7 common problems

solved

contents

12 18

Portable camera policies

The purpose of these policies is to manage NWCT equipment in

a fair and equitable manner. Follow these rules and you’ll never

have to worry about losing your membership privileges!

Only certied members are permitted to operate equipment

2. Members must be on time for appointments. You must call if you

are going to be more than 30 minutes late—if you are more than

60 minutes late, we will consider you a “no show” and give away

your equipment.

3. Cameras may be checked out for up to 48 hours.

4. Members may schedule cameras only two weekends per month.

5. Members may reserve only one camera at a time per event. If a

second camera is available at the time of checkout for the length

of time desired, it can be checked out.

6. Equipment may be reserved up to two months in advance.

7. NWCT staff must conrm all equipment is in proper working order

at the time of return. This takes approximately ten minutes—

members must be present.

8. Members must be 18 years of age to sign out equipment. A

parent or guardian must sign for equipment checked out to those

under age 18.

9. Members are responsible for the equipment and will be liable for

any loss or damage, normal wear and tear excepted.

10. All members using equipment and facilities will be expected to

produce a program for cablecast within six months.

Producing programs for

hire, advertisements,

commercials, obscene or

indecent programming,

lotteries, or personal and

family programs will not

be tolerated.

If you need to cancel your

appointment, please notify

the studio manager at least

24 hours in advance; un-

foreseen emergencies and

illnesses will be taken into

consideration. Please do not

rely on leaving a voicemail

message. Talk to a studio

manager whenever possible.

If cancellations are not made

24 hours in advance of your

scheduled time, become ex-

cessive, or if you are more

than 30 minutes late for your

appointment, you may be

subject to disciplinary ac-

tion as follows: rst offense,

verbal warning; second of-

fense, written warning; third

offense, suspension.

763.533.8196

CALL

NOW!

Equipment inventory and cost Portable camera 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Name _______________________________ Drivers license # _____________________

Address _____________________________ City __________________ Zip _________

Phone (H) ____________________________ Cell _______________________________

Project description _______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

____ AG-DVX100B camcorder $3995.00

____ Tripod mount and screw $40.00

____ AC power, adapter and cord $160.00

____ Lens cap $25.00

____ Operations manual (quick/full) $10.00

____ Portabrace camcorder case $275.00

Camcorder accessories

____ Panasonic CGA-D54 batteries $190.00

____ 25’ AC extension cord $10.00

____ XLR microphone cables $25.00

____ Headphones $10.00

Microphones

____ Electrovoice RE-10 HH mic $197.00

____ Sony lavalier microphone, clip, case $195.00

____ Wireless mic #____ (handheld/lav) $3000.00

____ Shotgun mic ($500)/boom ($800) $1300.00

____ Manfrotto 745B/501 tripod $385.00

____ Manfrotto tripod bag $65.00

____ Bogen 3254 dolly $245.00

Other:

__________________________________________

I assume full responsibility for this equipment and will be liable for damage or loss incurred while the equipment

is checked out to me. I understand the equipment must be returned at the agreed upon time and the equipment

cannot be used for commercial, money-making or personal use. I may be subject to suspension of community

television privileges or assessed a rental charge if the preceding rules are not followed.

White copy: Studio Yellow copy: CTV Manager Pink copy: Producer

Signature ______________________________________________________

NORTHWEST COMMUNITY TELEVISION PORTABLE CAMERA CHECKOUT FORM

____ Lowel light kit #____ $1225.00

Includes 3 Omni lights, 3 barndoors and screens,

3-16’ power cords, 3 Omni light stands, light case

____ Umbrella $40.00

____ Lampak $14.50

____ EKB spare bulbs $30.00

____ Rifa light kit #____ $950.00

Includes 1 Rifa Lite 55 with diffuser panel and bag,

1 Pro-light with barndoor and gel frame, 2-16’ power

cords, 2 light stands, light case

____ Lampaks (DP/ViP) $14.50

____ DP spare bulbs $20.00

____ ViP spare bulbs $ 28.00

Extras

____ Accessory bag $ 25.00

____ Tri-RCA cable $ 15.00

____ Monitor $ 100.00

____ Mic stands (desktop/oor) $ 25.00

____ Power strip $7.00

__________________________________________

Checkout date/time: ___________________ Check in date/time: __________________

Staff initials:

Call 763.533.8196 x293 if you’re going to be late.

Su 12:30-6:30pm | M-Th 8:30am-11pm | F-Sa 8:30am-5:30pm

Staff initials:

— VOLUNTEERS COMPLETE THE SHADED AREA — VOLUNTEERS COMPLETE THE SHADED AREA —

763.533.8196

Portable camera checkout form

Battery life

The battery should

last approximately

200–300 minutes.

Remaining battery

life can be read on

the LCD viewnder.

Power DC AND AC

DC POWER

Removing the battery

To remove the battery, FIRST TURN OFF THE CAMERA.

Then lift up the viewnder, push in the battery release but-

ton, and pull up on the battery.

AC POWER

To use AC power,



plug the AC cable into the AC adapter.



Plug the DC cable

into the AC adapter and



attach the at end of the DC adapter to the back of

the camera in the same way the battery is attached.

Attaching the battery

To attach the battery,



lift up the viewnder,



place the top of the battery

just under the battery release button, and



push down—the battery will click

into place.

Recharging

batteries

The battery can be

recharged using

the AC power unit

provided with the

camera. The DC

cable must be dis-

connected in order

for the battery to

charge.

Fully recharging

the battery takes

approximately 300

minutes.

321

Tape CHOOSING, LOADING, RECORDING

Choosing the right tape

Use only miniDV tapes bearing this logo in the camera. Avoid Maxell and

TDK brand tapes as they can clog the heads of our camcorders and VCRs.

Record inhibit

switch

Before recording,

check that the

record inhibit switch

is set to the record

position. If the

switch is set to the

save position, re-

cording on the tape

will be impossible.

NOTE: Use the

record inhibit switch

after recording to

prevent careless

tape errors.

Loading the tape

Press the blue eject

switch on the top of the

camera to open the cas-

sette cover.

Recording to tape

Record at least 15 seconds on your tape before recording anything important.

Record an additional 15-30 seconds after you’ve recorded your last scene. Do-

ing this will help you capture your video with a nonlinear editor.

Avoid removing the tape in the middle of a shoot as

this can create timecode breaks in the tape. If you

must remove a tape in the middle of shooting, do

the following when you reinsert it:

  Switch the camera to VCR mode.



  Press the END SEARCH button. The camera will

locate the end of the last scene recorded.

  Switch back to CAMERA mode and continue

shooting.

IMPORTANT: Press PUSH on the cassette holder to close it. Do not close the

cassette cover without closing the cassette holder rst! Doing so will

damage the camera. Once the cassette holder has nished moving, close the

cassette cover. To remove the tape, follow the same procedure.

When the cassette cover

is fully open, the cas-

sette holder will open

automatically.

Insert the tape as

shown.

cassette cover

cassette holder

Sound IS THIS THING ON?

Selecting sound inputs

Two sources of audio can be recorded to the camera simultaneously.

Sound can be gathered from the camera’s internal microphone, an

external microphone, a line level source such as an audio mixing

board or CD player, or any combi-

nation of two of those sources.

Routing audio signals is controlled

by two switches behind the LCD

panel and two switches on the

front of the camera.

Setting the audio level

To set an appropriate audio level, use the AUDIO dials on the side of

the camera. The CH 1 dial controls the level for the source selected

with the CH 1 SELECT switch and the CH 2 dial controls the level for

the source selected with the CH 2 SELECT switch.

Two switches behind LCD panel Two switches on front of camera

Monitoring the audio level

Use the audio meter on the viewnder to monitor the audio levels.

Adjust the AUDIO dials so that the loudest sounds register just below

the red zone. If you’re seeing a lot of red in the meters, adjust the

AUDIO dials to lower the input level.

To monitor audio quality, plug headphones into the headphone jack

on the back of the camera. You can control the headphone volume

by pushing the - AUDIO MON\VAR + buttons. NOTE: Changing your

headphone volume will not change the audio levels going to tape.

Always use the audio meter to judge appropriate levels.

Easy-to-follow audio setup chart on next page

Audio setup chart

INPUT jacks and CH 1 SELECT and CH 2

Audio source INPUT settings SELECT settings Audio records on

Internal microphone

External microphone

External line level source

Two external sources

One external source and

built in microphone on

camera

N/A

INPUT 2 jack

INPUT 2: MIC

INPUT 2 jack

INPUT 2: LINE

INPUT 1 and INPUT 2 jacks

INPUT 1: LINE or MIC

INPUT 2: LINE or MIC

INPUT 1 jack

INPUT 1: LINE or MIC

CH 1 SELECT: INT(L)

CH 2 SELECT: INT(R)

CH 1 SELECT: INPUT 2

CH 2 SELECT: INPUT 2

CH 1 SELECT: INPUT 2

CH 2 SELECT: INPUT 2

CH 1 SELECT: INPUT 1

CH 2 SELECT: INPUT 2

CH 1 SELECT: INPUT 1

CH 2 SELECT: INT(R)

CH 1: Built in mic

CH 2: Built in mic

CH 1: External mic

CH 2: External mic

CH 1: Line level source

CH 2: Line level source

CH 1: Input 1

CH 2: Input 2

CH 1: Input 1

CH 2: Built in mic

Microphone selection

Northwest Community Television has several different types of mics available.

Desktop and oor mic stands are available for checkout.

OTHER MICS

Electro-Voice 635A

handheld

Omnidirectional, good

for inexperienced inter-

viewers, ne for music

and ambient sound

gathering

Shure SM58 handheld

Unidirectional vocal mi-

crophone

Lectrosonics M185

wireless

Fixed frequency VHF

receiver works with ei-

ther lavalier or handheld

transmitter, range of

50+ feet, good for pro-

ductions requiring free-

dom of movement

Realistic PZM

(Pressure Zone Mic)

Surface mount mic,

omnidirectional, very

low prole, excellent for

pianos, drums, large

vocal or instrumental

groups, or stage perfor-

mances

Shotgun

Directional, great for

capturing sound at a

distance, also available

with boom pole and

Zeppelin

STANDARD ISSUE

These two microphones come standard with every

portable camera.

Electro-Voice RE10 handheld

Unidirectional, excellent for music or interviews,

slightly better bass response than 635A

Sony ECM 44 or Sony ECM 30 lavalier or lapel

Directional, excellent for interviews when clipped

directly to clothing, small enough to easily hide on

location

OMNI-

UNI-

Notes

Video image 4 STEPS FOR AVOIDING OVEREXPOSURE

Determining the

dominant light

source

Before shooting,

determine whether

most of the light in

the scene is com-

ing from the sun or

from articial lights.

For best color re-

sults, try to reduce

the light com-

ing from the less

dominant source.

You can do this by

covering windows (if

your primary light

source is articial)

or by turning off

incandescent and

uorescent lights

and placing your

subject close to

a window (if your

primary light source

is sunlight).

It’s also possible

to match articial

lights to sunlight by

covering the lights

with blue color con-

version gels which

can be found in the

light kits.

Matching the light

using one of these

methods will pro-

vide better color for

your scene.

ND FILTER SETTINGS

1/64 cuts light intensity by 1/64

1/8 cuts light intensity by 1/8

OFF ND lter is not used

Selecting the right neutral density

lter

Neutral density lters allow the camera

to operate correctly outdoors in sunlight.

A neutral density lter does for the cam-

era what sunglasses do for your eyes—it

reduces the amount of light that can pass

through without changing the color of that

light.

Performing a white balance

1. Set the WHITE BAL switch to A or B.

2. Point the camera at a piece of white paper or a white

object and zoom in so that it lls the frame.

3. Press and hold the AWB button on the front of the

camera.

4. Release the button when AWB Ach (or Bch) ACTIVE

appears in the viewnder. Continuing to hold the button

will also black balance the camera. Don’t panic if the

LCD suddenly goes black.

Setting a white balance

White balancing the camera guarantees that white and all other

colors record correctly. Though the human eye cannot perceive it, white

light coming from the sun is different than white light coming from a

light bulb. Different light sources have different “color temperatures”

measured on the Kelvin temperature scale. Articial light has a color

temperature close to 3200K and appears orange to the camera. Sun-

light has a color temperature of 5600K and appears blue to the camera.

You should white balance your camera before recording, but especially

when lighting conditions change (moving from sunlight to articial light

or vice versa).

FIRST THINGS

FIRST

AUTO IRIS

If you are using auto iris (see “Setting an appro-

priate iris” on the next page), the camera will tell

you when you should be using a neutral density l-

ter with a message in the middle of the LCD screen.

MANUAL IRIS

If you’re using manual iris, you can judge the

need for a neutral density lter by monitoring the

F-stop of the lens. If you’re at F16 and the scene

is still too bright, turn on the neutral density lter.

Note: 1/64 ND reduces more light than 1/8 ND.

If you are indoors and your scene is too dark even

with the F-stop reading OPEN, make sure the ND

lter is OFF.

auto manual

Setting an appropriate iris

The last task to perform before shooting

is to set the iris of the camera. The iris

controls the amount of light entering the

camera which determines how bright the

image will be (exposure of the image).

IMPORTANT: Do not rely on how the image

“looks” in the LCD monitor to determine cor-

rect exposure because the LCD monitor shows

brightness inaccurately. Always use zebra

stripes.

To set the iris using

AUTO IRIS mode:

(1) Push the ZEBRA

button until (2) ZEBRA

1 100% appears in the

viewnder.

(3) Push the IRIS but-

ton until (4) AUTO IRIS

appears in the view-

nder. The camera will

adjust the exposure

automatically.

To set the iris using

MANUAL IRIS mode:

(1) Push the ZEBRA

button until (2) ZEBRA

1 100% appears in the

viewnder.

(3) Push the IRIS but-

ton until (4) MANUAL

IRIS appears in the

viewnder.

(5) Rotate the iris dial

until the image is prop-

erly exposed.

Adjust the dial and set

a new exposure every

time the shot changes.

3. 5.

To set the iris appropriately, you must monitor the

zebra stripes in the LCD monitor of the camera.

Zebra stripes appear on areas of the image that are

overexposed. In those areas, no detail is recorded

because the light is too intense.

A picture is properly exposed when there are no—

or very few—zebra striped areas in the image.

There may be times when you want to overexpose

an image, if you are shooting into a strong back-

light, for instance, but generally the rule applies:

minimize the zebra stripes.

Now you

see me . . .

now

you

don’t!

Shooting better video HOW TO SHOOT LIKE A PRO

LOOK SPACE

HEAD ROOM

Critical focus

If you’re shooting with man-

ual focus, it’s important that

you get a critical focus (also

called a calibrated zoom) of

your subject every time you

get a new shot.

Here’s how to perform a criti-

cal focus:



Zoom in all the way on

your subject,



focus, and then



zoom out to the framing

you want.

Doing this will ensure your

subject stays in focus, re-

gardless of how far out you

zoom.

Head room and look space

When shooting people, it’s best to follow two simple guidelines in

framing. First, allow for a bit of space between the top of the frame

and the subject’s head. Allowing too little or too much space makes

the audience feel anxious. Second, allow more room on the side of

the frame in the direction the subject is looking. If you don’t, the au-

dience will subconsciously experience claustrophobia, feeling that the

subject is running out of room.

Sequencing

In general, it will be very hard to edit your video well if you shoot

your subject the same way all the time. If you edit together two

pieces of video that are too similar, you’ll create a “jump cut.” Your

subject will change position in the scene instantly, appearing to have

jumped there (example above). Jump cuts are very distracting to a

viewer and should be avoided. It’s much better to arrange your shots

in a logical sequence. The most popular sequence consists of a wide

shot, medium shot, close-up, and cutaway. Let’s take a look at this in

a typical interview setup on the next page.

TYPICAL INTERVIEW SETUP SHOOTING BETTER VIDEO

We’ll begin with a wide shot

which helps the viewer under-

stand where this interview is tak-

ing place. Wide shots are often

used to establish location and are

sometimes referred to as “estab-

lishing shots.”

Next, we’ll get closer and show

the interviewer (on the left) and

the subject (on the right) togeth-

er at the table. In our example,

this would be a good shot for the

interviewer to deliver her rst

question.

Third, we’ll get a close-up of our

subject. This particular shot is

actually a “medium close-up” and

could also be called a “head and

shoulders” shot.

The bulk of action for our inter-

view will take place in the close-

up as the subject answers the

interviewer’s questions.

You may wish to cut out sections of the subject’s response that aren’t

relevant or are lled with “ums” and “ahs.” If you edit together two

close-ups of the subject, the result will be a jump cut. To avoid that,

we’ll shoot cutaways.

A cutaway is any shot used to cover jump cut edits in primary shots

or add a new dimension to a video story. In our example, we could

show the subject’s hands or the interviewer listening to keep the

video owing smoothly.

The 180

Rule

If you’re shooting a scene

with two subjects, imagine

there is a line connecting

them. That line is called the

“axis of action.” Don’t shoot

on both sides of the axis.

Keep all your shots on the

same side.

In our example, the axis of

action is between the inter-

viewer and the subject.

Notice that in every shot, re-

gardless of framing or angle,

the interviewer is always on

the left and the subject is al-

ways on the right. If we took

a shot or two from the other

side of the table and edited

it together, the interviewer

would be on the right and the

subject on the left in those

shots, and the viewer would

be very confused.

The 30

Rule

Every time you change shots

in a sequence, it’s best to

change your shooting angle

by at least 30°. Notice in our

example, each shot is not

only framed differently, but

also shot at a different angle.

Changing your shooting

angle helps eliminate jump

cuts.

ßAXIS OF ACTION à

SPECIALTY SHOOTING SHOOTING BETTER VIDEO

Use high and low angles

A high angle shot can make your subject appear weak and vulnerable

or it can simply add a new dimension to your scene. Conversely, a low

angle shot makes your subject appear powerful and “larger than life.”

Create depth in your shots

A television screen is a two-di-

mensional piece of glass so extra

effort needs to be made to create

depth for your audience. Try

shooting your subject with some-

thing in the foreground to give

the viewer depth cues. Shoot

buildings from the corner instead

of head-on which can make a

building look at.

Try a rack focus

“Racking focus” means shifting focus from one object in a scene to

another. It’s easy to rack focus when the camera is zoomed in all the

way because the camera’s depth of eld, the area where subjects will

be in sharp focus, is narrow.

Use Dutch angles

To use a Dutch angle, also called

a canted angle, tilt the camera so

that the horizon or oor is diago-

nal instead of at. This creates

tension in a scene and works well

for fast paced action productions

with a lot of quick editing.

Use close-ups

Television is called “the close-up medium” because a TV can’t show as

much detail as a movie screen. As a result, television videographers

shoot more close-ups than movie cinematographers. Use this to your

advantage! It’s easier to convey emotion in a close-up because the

face is seen in greater detail. Close-ups are also great for revealing

details the audience may miss in your wide shots. Don’t be afraid to

get in there and get personal!

Pre-production checklist

Follow these pre-production tips and your taping will go more smoothly—you’ll rest easy knowing

you’re prepared for just about anything! Doublecheck and conrm everything a few days before

the shoot.

Obtain taping permission

Call as soon as possible to nd out if you

need permission to tape the event and/or

at the location.

Inspect the taping location

Inspect the site before your taping date,

preferably at the same time of day you

will be shooting. Check for power outlets,

lighting, and special audio needs.

Conrm arrival procedures, setup time

and location, loading area, facility contact

person, etc.

Lighting

Design a lighting plan, taking into

consideration the location of the sun and

shadows during the shoot. Ask if windows

in the background can be covered.

Plan where the lighting will go based on

space available and power needed for your

taping conditions.

Audio

Decide how many and what type of micro-

phones you will need.

If there will be a lot of background noise,

unidirectional mics (lavalier, RE-10) work

best.

If you are using a wireless mic, pretest

it for possible interference from electrical

sources or competing transmitters.

Note the type of connection if you are

taking a feed out of a sound board.

Ask your talent if they will need a line

monitor or program audio feed.

Make a camera shot sheet

Bring a list of transition and cover shots so

that you don’t forget a crucial shot.

Shoot more than you think you need.

Things to bring

Camera equipment

Tapes

Batteries

Power cords, extra audio gear, duct tape

Lighting

Tripod dolly

Talent and location releases, parking

permits, admittance waivers, etc.

Garbage bag (for picking up after yourself)

To do

TODAY!

Star!

Talent release form

Date _______________________________________________________

Program ____________________________________________________

Producer ____________________________________________________

In consideration of your plan to produce the above captioned program and

as an inducement to permit me personally to appear on the cablecast of

the program, I hereby consent to the use of my name, likeness, pictures

and/or voice by you and your licensees for cablecasting, direct exhibition,

and subsidiary purposes. Such uses will not be made as will constitute a

direct endorsement by me of any product or service.

I hereby idemnify you and your licensees respecting my claim or action

against you, your licensees or your ofcers and agents, arising out of my

acts or statements out of the program.

Signature ___________________________________________________

Print name __________________________________________________

Witness _____________________________________________________

If minor, guardian _____________________________________________