BMM Meeting @ 6th October, 2022.
We had a healthy turnout, coinciding with the return of Glenn and Peter, with 21 members in attendance.
Peter:
welcomed members back with a short trivia quiz - winner winner chocolate dinner was Don
welcomed our new interim Treasurer, Damian Roache
showed 'Who is Emily', followed by reading out a message of thanks from Emily who said Peter had captured the BMM spirit
gave a short update on the recently released iPhone 14, which is regarded as best rated phone camera for video and 2nd as a phone still camera. For those members who are shy at picking up a camera, how about giving it ago on your smart phone. The quality is stunning!
Reminded members that the end of year BMM showcase (in lieu of the John Robert's Trophy) will include IndroHall members, BMM members and their partners. RSVP's are essential. It will be a fee free night, so BYO plate (sweet, savoury or boozy), Glenn is organising the program, which will include the FIRST. EVER. showing of the history of BMM.
11 Tomorrows Report - DavidW
Lighting & sound crew needed for 19-20 Nov shoot for Bond to the future. Contact DavidW.
Filming for The Clown has wrapped and is now in post-production
Glenn and David are in the midst of production of 'A Matter of Choice'.
We then proceeded into 4 fast paced presentations on:
1) Sound - Neal
Neal gave us a 10 hour audio shrink down in 10 minutes:
How far should a mic be from a subject? Answer: 500 to 750 mm
Don't use on-board camera mics as they are cheap, don't offer wind protection, tend to pick up operator handling noise (and operator swearing occasionally), and always monitor your sound with quality headphones.
What you record is permanent and hard to correct in post
Best mic for voice is cardioid. Bidirectional mics are not zoom mics. Zoom mics are misleading.
Boom mics are not always the best choice requiring talent and skill to use effectively.
Consider radio lav mics.
Balanced mics are considered the best (XLR or magneto plug).
Choose your location carefully, and ne aware of background ambient audio, reflective surfaces
Avoid recording in MP3. Understand the decibel scale when recording audio. Do you research. Never record above 0db otherwise you will get distortion and clipping.
Broadcast audio needs to conform to the CALM ACT for suitable sound calibration
Recommended audio levels: dialog -10dbfs, music -15 to 20 dbfs and general sound -10 to -20 dbfs.
2) Tips on setting up and using a DSLR video camera - Col
Best if you watch his video! Here are Col's top takeaways:
Practice, practice, practice with using your camera
Learn your buttons (functions) so that you can literally operate it in the dark
Read the manual last as it can be confusing, so watch YouTube videos
Use head phones and monitor your audio
Record using an external recorder
Use a quality tripod with a levelling bubble and a bowl head for fast levelling
Carry everything you need - gaffer tape, extra batteries, lens wipes, screw drivers etc
Double check your kit for completeness at the end of the shoot
Write protect your media at the end of the shoot to prevent your master piece from being accidentally overwritten
3) Multicam shoot tips - Murray
Murray gave some handy tips for multicam shoots on a budget, such as dance concerts or memorials/commemorations:
Match frame rate, resolution, white balance
Obey the 180 degree rule in your camera placement
Match your camera models if possible
Have one camera responsible for sound with others recording audio that can be synced later in the edit
Have one camera wide, one safety for the primary shot
Minimum 1 operator per 2 cameras
Each operator needs to understand their shot framing
A LANC controller is ideal for operation
If possible have monitors setup in a cross formation
If your budget allows it, have your video output to a mixing desk or multi monitor setup so that a 3rd person can monitor the vision and make calls using radio headsets
Make sure that all SD cards and batteries are up to the task and where possible, run off AC or a DC coupler
All operators need to monitor their own sound
Camera operation is either slow and deliberate or fast (zip pans) and hold your shot
In the edit make your shot selection variable and interesting
4) Marketing your master piece a.k.a Movie Production Marketing & Networking - Damian
Refer to Damian's very detailed PowerPoint
Next UGG Competition:
A comic tale Flora and Fauna - with a focus on emotion
In order to set the agenda for next year, members will be canvassed in upcoming meetings and asked the following question: "What are your goals for coming to the BMM club nights?" This is your club after all, and we want to incorporate your feedback into our 2023 meetings and the recognition and mentoring program
by Nigel O'Neill
Club Secretary
