Elstree Film School - Digital Video Cameras Training - Essential Course

If you are seeking to become fully versed with the latest Digital Camera equipment, this course will provide you with the detailed knowledge you have been looking for. Conducted by an experienced DoP who has worked in the film and television industry for over three decades, our Essential Digital Video Camera course is the ideal way to gain a comprehensive overview of Digital Camera technology and its use, quickly and simply.

Both Broadcast and non-broadcast HD and DV cameras are covered in depth, as well as a thorough examination of the wide variety of different formats available, from HDCAM SR all the way down to miniDV.

In addition to explaining all of the formats available to todays film-maker, our course also features a useful filming module where you will learn many of the fundamentals of successful film making, including how best to setup your camera to get the shot you want - the way you want it to look.

Please note that this course does not require for you to purchase or rent a camera of your own, as the filming portion of the course is conduced on our own camera. You are however welcome to bring your own camera along if you wish to ask specific questions.

Duration: 1 day.

Location: Elstree Film School, 21st Century New Media Ltd, Elstree Film Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 1JG. [Click here for a map]

Times: 10.00am to 4.30pm. For security reasons, further details are only provided upon booking.

Software Versions: All of our Adobe courses include lessons generic to both CS3 and CS4 versions of the Adobe suite: whichever version you use is covered in our courses. In addition, we also now preview the functionality of the new Adobe CS5 software. Our Apple training courses utilise the latest versions of Final Cut Studio HD (also known of as version 3 or FCS 2009).

Equipment: Our fully featured training room includes six top-of-the-range iMac computers configured to work in both Macintosh (OSX) and PC (Windows) modes, ensuring you the maximum familiarity with your chosen operating system.

Accommodation: Details of local accomodation can be found here.

Further assistance: Our FAQ help page contains the answers to many popular questions. Alternatively please call 0844 844 2428 to arrange to speak to our training manager.

COURSE CONTENT

Formats & Cameras

• An overview of Broadcast HD and non-Broadcast HD & DV formats (i.e. HD, HDV, DVCAM, DV & miniDV)
• Other formats (e.g. P2, XDCAM EX etc)
• European and International formats & requirements
• Costing and comparing formats
• PAL & NTSC
• Frame rates (24fps, 25fps, 30fps, 60fps)
• Shooting at the same / different frame rates & frame rate conversion (aka pulling down)
• Compression rates & codecs: lossy and loss-less recording
• Generations (aka post-stages) of film print - 70mm, 35mm, S-16 etc.
• Fixed and variable frame rates
• Audio channels - Dolby 5.1, Stereo & multiple language tracks
• Edit suite considerations (HD Firewire and HD-SDI outputs. Uncompressed HD edit suites)
• Editing software (e.g. Avid & Final Cut Pro)
• Digital format archival options (e.g. Firewire & RAID drives)

Broadcast HD Formats & Cameras

• Types of acquisition formats (i.e. Sony HDCAM SR, HDCAM, DVCPro HD (aka 100), P2, AVC Intra, XDCAM HD, RED etc.)
• Progressive modes (23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p etc)
• Interlaced modes (e.g. 50i, 59.94i etc)
• Lookup tables - video & cine gamma
• Resolutions e.g. 1280x720 (Varicam), 1920x1080, 1440x1080 etc.
• Bit rates, sampling rates and ratios (3:1:1, 4:2:2 etc)
• Cameras (e.g. Sony F-23, Panavision Genesis, ARRI D-21, Sony F900R, Varicam (720p & 1080p), HDX-900, P2)
• Linear and Non-linear capture
• Compression and how it works e.g. HDCAM (4:2:2), DVCPro (4:2:0) etc.
• HD zoom, cine-style, video style, prime lenses and lens mounts
• SD lenses and lens mounts
• Speeds and performance - choosing the right lens - 2/3" lens mounts
• Depths of field (DoF)
• Compatible accessories - monitors, matte boxes, follow focus, filters, housings and mounts etc)
• Delivery considerations (HD projection and 35mm blow-ups)
• Specifics of the P2 format (i.e. Non-volatile memory sticks, archive and transfer units)
• Specifics of the XDCAM HD format (i.e. Blu Ray type disks)

Non-Broadcast HD Formats & Cameras

• HDV, DVCAM, DV and XDCAM EX
• MPEG2 compression and how it works with HDV and DV
• Sony & JVC HDV formats
• Lens adaptors
• Cameras (e.g. Sony Z7, Sony Z5, Sony Z1E, Sony PMW-EX1 and EX3 (XDCAM EX), JVC HDV)
• Resolutions available (1440x1080, 1280x720)
• HQ and SP modes of XDCAM EX
• Film effect modes - emulating the 25p 'film-look'
• Storage methods - DV tape, SD and SxS memory cards & sticks, DVD media etc.
• Codecs available and how they work
• Proxy files

Getting Started

• Powering up - what to do when the lights come on
• Menus: mastering your Cameras brain
• Adjusting gammas
• CCD, lenses & adaptors
• Choosing focal lengths and Depth of Field (DoF)
• Matching shots
• Choosing shutter speeds
• Using the p-mode & interlace modes

Filming

• Picture composition & framing - what makes for a good picture
• How exposure affects the Depth of Field (DoF)
• How focal length affects perspective
• How to know when your picture is correctly exposed
• Exposure indicators and how they work
• Making the most of daylight
• Colour balance
• Tungsten or Daylight
• Degrees Kelvin
• Choosing interlaced and progressive modes
• Shot matching & perspectives
• The difference between zooming and tracking
• Using shutters
• Dealing with judder problems
• What can be done to improve your images
• How to set and use time code
• What is drop frame

Resolving optical problems

• Strobe lighting and flash photography - avoiding artefacts from GOP compression
• Focus breathing
• Barrel distortion
• Chromatic aberration
• Lens ramping
• Why use HD lenses on HD cameras? Won't SD do?
• Understanding Circles of Confusion

Tripods and Camera Mounts

• Tripods and how best to use them
• Why camera height is so important
• 1 to 1 relationships and eye lines
• Conveying body language
• Going hand held

Sound

• How sound is best recorded
• How to optimize your line and microphone levels
• Using headphones
• Basic microphone placement techniques
• Are clapper boards still necessary?

Summary

• Roles of the DoP
• Safety
• Understanding loading of cables
• Volts, amps and watts
• Renting equipment
• Tips and tricks

Conclusion & Questions

Digital Video Cameras Training - Essential Course
Date	Days	Total (Excl VAT)
November 2011
26/11/11	1	250

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