It’s interesting if not complicated how various productions capture HD. The Red is gaining speed and all the camera AC’s (for a lack of a better word over tech) are capturing to the Mac Book Pro. However, there is still the issue of feeding the monitors, video assist, and alas the VFX guy when on set. The red offers so many outputs, including HDMI which is very cool, but the nature of a set requires expedience. Hence one wire. Wireless if possible, but I don’t think we’re there yet. Unless…

Of late in addition to the CF card (P2 on the Panasonic) the Camera AC is also capturing live video as we go to Hard Drives as “backup.” Eventually the CF or P2 card is downloaded as well to a hard drive.

In the cases I’ve experienced, the VFX guy (yet to see a woman) captured off the “one wire” with the rest of us.

In the past, I’ve used my laptop as a monitor and I capture live pictures of what I call “action points” for my notes. Previously production would have video assist down convert the HD signal to analog for the monitors, and me. Not any more, and I have to be able to accept an SDI signal into my laptop. So I’m searching for a input device with the previously mentioned laptop.

What is fascinating though is that there is no one standard right now. Even what I do as a script supervisor has changed. I provide all notes in a PDF with a series of photos set up like an action comic for every setup. I can even add video clips to the PDF. Because of that I don’t have to line a script. But with everyone utilizing VFX in their movies or commercials, I’m also able to capture a picture of green screen, non green screen, etc., and provide them in the notes. A form of compiled logging if you will.

I think the post pipeline and the production pipeline are merging. Everyone is sharing the live feed. So how it comes out of the camera and how it is captured to all the devices, including the monitor, is paramount to the master copy.

With all of this said. Do you suppose – as far as production is concerned – that “live capture” may be heading to a wireless encrypted video stream, and that all these capture devices may be a mute point?

That would be so cool, and maybe Mac Book Pro is already on to something that they haven’t told us about.

Thanks for listening. Oh, and Since I joined FXPH as a student, I can’t stop talking about it and I’m letting everyone know about it!!!

Sincerely,

Annie

I’m a tool for job kinda guy and you won’t hear me knocking PCs for their usefulness — I get so tired of the fanboy attitude. We have multiple PC and Linux systems at the fxphd/fxguide/hootennay loft for work-related projects. There’s a ton of software that runs only on a PC and I’m perfectly willing and happy to run with those systems.

From my perspective, I simply like OSX, the hardware, and the software available on Apple’s platform better than the PC. Our web servers are all Linux based, so I’m at home in the OSX Terminal. I’m happy with AE, Final Cut Pro, etc as my main creative tools and they’re available on OSX. As a designer, I like the industrial design of the Apple products much better….and that is is something that goes into my decisions. The bottom line is that in the end, I want to be happy with what I’m using on a daily basis, so that’s why for my personal/work notebook I went with an OSX.

I have an HP DV7 1243cl 17″ laptop from Costco for $699. It came with an HDMI out and an eSata input. AMD Turion X2 64, and 4gb ram. Because the Red and other HD cams are getting so popular, production no longer wants to pay video assist to provide down conversion in analog. I capture video for pics to put in my notes as a script supervisor and occasionally do some quick edits on the fly. We have to multi-task here in Austin.

The Miranda products have been popular for HD capture: http://www.miranda.com/families_sections.php?l=1 along with the variations of firewire. Another company is Blackmagic: http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/

Here in Austin, much of a products popularity starts with the folks over at troublemaker studios fiddling with new things. However, they’re Mac men. But I’m one of the non-conformists since I built all my own editing computers. You can’t get a Mac fixed at 3:00 am. You can build an incredible desktop for the fraction of the cost of a Mac.

What I’m saying is that eSata may be your answer and if you have it built in on a laptop, there is no doubt that the card (input device) you need is being produced as we speak.

Will ya’ll ever consider a PC laptop? I doubt it, but it is something to think about. All of you FX people have to have brains that are better than the average bear, so I have no doubt that you could fix/correct any problem that comes to life on a PC.

You have to admit, the Mac is the “point and shoot” in the computer world. You know those are HP hard drives up on mars in the land rover. There is something to consider about having a PC laptop; Cheaper, Faster, Better… HP is a Texas company and NASA utilizes their products heavily. NASA headquarters are in Houston, Texas. Dreamworks uses HP work stations. Oh, and AMD has one of their main headquarters in Austin. What can I say, we’re PC country.

Oh PC v Mac…

Good luck either way. I just had to add my two cents in about the PC.

Sincerely,

Annie

Oh, I do have to admit… I have an iPhone

-k

The missing slot is a slap in the face, as I use it for the Sony EX1 cards a lot. SD cards are easy to read with a $30 ‘34′ adapter, without changing the shape of the 15″. So, I do not get the idea why this will be an clever idea at all.
I feel not pulled to upgrade…not nice Mr. Shiller.

Best

Sassi

Here’s hoping Apple figures it out…

err… just remembered – dear apple, please, please – bring back MATTE screens for heaven sake!! i agree to lose expresscard, superdrive, isight camera, ok- eject key and even trackpad but damn, take away that glare too!!!