How it's done - multicamera shooting with a variety of camera types

[robisaistru]

Here are a few live multicamera videos i shot with my crew called RockPDX i thought people might like to see. The videos used anywhere between six and twelve cameras. The HV30 is always the one shooting the singer medium closeup, shot from behind the crowd, unless otherwise noted.

Most have high quality audio, recorded multichannel and remixed/mastered, but that's another thread, or another site entirely.

Almost all videos are edited on an SD timeline since almost all other cameras are SD.

I wanted to post these because i read a lot and see recurring questions that i thought these vids might help people answer just by watching. I'm using a number of different camera types- there are three trv900 cams, two pana gs320's, a sanyo gh4, and even some sony trv22 class cameras (!). Some also have an hvx200 on handheld. I've also been using a pana gh13 more and more often..

The footage is all color corrected and matched fairly well. People with an eye for it will no doubt find problems- these were never intended to be perfect, the idea was to make the highest quality live multicam videos possible for local bands that have no backing and very little in the way of budget. I think we've been able to make some nice videos for bands, i hope you like them.

[robisaistru]

This is a video shot a few weeks ago. Audio was taken multichannel and remixed by the band's bass player. The HV30 is on a tripod behind the crowd an slightly to the left, on a medium CU of singer. The HV30 matched pretty well with the other cameras after lots of color correction and filtering.

One of the better bands to come out of Portland, IMHO. The video is being used to win a contest to open for REO Speedwagon when they play here, and they're at #2, closing fast on #1..

[antman]

They have a creed like sound, great band though, thanks for posting, you did a great job on the this shoot!!

[robisaistru]

Thanks, that was fun to shoot, was in a venue i hadn't shot at before, a great place called Doug Fir in Portland.. Was a great show, they also played with a band called Swamp Surfer who i also shot..

[robisaistru]

Here is one with the HV30 used as a semistatic wide. The band is called Leighties Nite, the song is Wild Wild West (Escape Club). Again, the hv30 was fairly easy to match with a variety of other cameras. This one didn't have great lighting, so was even better to guage the ability for so many different types of cameras to work well together.

Escape Club - Wild Wild West live, L'Eighties Nite style, 9 cameras!

[robisaistru]

This one has the HV30 on wide semistatic again, this was nine cameras if i remember right.

Ronnie James Dio - Holy Diver tribute by Church of Dio

[robisaistru]

80's band W.A.S.P. and Metal Church former members, in W.A.S. (Where Angels Suffer). They played mainly W.A.S.P. songs, this one is an original, Cardiac Arrest. This one was shot on ten cameras, january, 2011.

[robisaistru]

Ozzy Osbourne's I Don't Know by Oz / Sabbath tribute Crazy Train Halloween '10, hv30 on singer, elevated semistatic.

[omnibozo]

Hum... this is not what I think of when I think "multi-cam". I think more of narrative films. In these samples the challenge is matching final output color and syncing the sound... in a narrative shoot with more than one camera, those post production challenges are far away. I'm on a multi-cam shoot right now... two Reds and an Epic (yeah, wishing there were mine and I was doing more than managing extras on this feature). Only two of the cameras shooting at any one time... but that's enough. Multi-cam doubles the set up time, at least. Lights, sound, lens selection, camera position, etc., take much longer. Sure, in each take the different angles will match perfectly in the edit, but the up front time cost is significant. THAT'S the kind of multi-camera shoot that is worrisome.

[robisaistru]

Far as upfront costs, a drop in the bucket compared to standard pro-shoots. I've shot semi-film style like what you say, shooting with 3-4 cameras, 2-5 takes from different angles, another good way to do it on fewer cameras, but sometimes the band isn't into playing the same song a few times over.. I hear you on cost, especially getting into Red territory.. But for shooting 8-12 cameras, the small cost has been worth it so far.

[robisaistru]

Here's another shot at Doug Fir, this time it's Swamp Surfer with their popular song Out Here, great song!

[robisaistru]

A new one, this one is from Rex & the Rockits, a band that had a few radio hits. It just happens that they live near me, and i got to shoot the band a few weeks ago. Here's one from the show..

[robisaistru]

Warpigs is a longtime Portland-based Sabbath tribute which filled all the local clubs for years, here, they reunite and play in Portland for the first time in quite awhile.

[robisaistru]

Updated link for Rex & the Rockits



[QUOTE=robisaistru;397785]A new one, this one is from Rex & the Rockits, a band that had a few radio hits. It just happens that they live near me, and i got to shoot the band a few weeks ago. Here's one from the show..

[Gillvane]

Warpigs is a longtime Portland-based Sabbath tribute which filled all the local clubs for years, here, they reunite and play in Portland for the first time in quite awhile.

Great band. That would be a fun show.

[robisaistru]

Was a fantastic show, Sabbath tribute Warpigs headlining with Motorhead and AC/DC tributes Ace of Spades and Thunderstruck opening. We shot all three bands that night, here's one from Thunderstruck..

Great band. That would be a fun show.

[robisaistru]

Here's one from The Sinner's Club, playing Some Kind of Wonderful a few months ago!

[Scott Hamilton]

These look great. What is your audio set up like? Just recording a line out of the main mixer?

[robisaistru]

Thanks. We took audio multichannel for most videos, on some we took it straight off the stage rack, some are direct outs off the board, the audio is remixed and for some, mastered. Just taking the audio off the board 2 channel (as in venue mix) is a crap shoot since the live audio is mixed for the room, you'd rarely end up with a good mix that way, but there are other ways..

These look great. What is your audio set up like? Just recording a line out of the main mixer?

[HueyNRolf]

What did you record the multi channels on?
I've had great sound from a 2 channel feed, but that was off a $20,000 automated desk. I suspect the engineer set up a dedicated mix for the recording.

[robisaistru]

Hi, some were recorded using an alesis hd24, some used a mac running protools. There's been a few shows when i didn't have the option to take multichannel and so i took 2 channel, sometimes they're set up for it and are willing to run a separate mix, but usually not, especially if there's multiple bands playing, just too busy. But when they know what they're doing with the mix, and they often do, it saves one heck of a lot of work.

What did you record the multi channels on?
I've had great sound from a 2 channel feed, but that was off a $20,000 automated desk. I suspect the engineer set up a dedicated mix for the recording.

[tapermark]

Hey Robert. I'm from Portland too. We should start a concert footage thread. Here's something I shot last Thursday night.

[robisaistru]

Hi, that looks great. Yeah, that's basically what i did here, i shoot a lot of great bands, dozens and dozens multicamera over the past few years.. I saw some of the other videos on your page too, great to see so much local music up.. Where was that shot?

[QUOTE=tapermark;399263]Hey Robert. I'm from Portland too. We should start a concert footage thread. Here's something I shot last Thursday night.

[robisaistru]

Here's one that we just finished, Tank Mango plays Fly Like an Eagle, fantastic version of this classic song, ten cameras, multichannel audio remix/master.

[robisaistru]

Another video from Chris Margolin & the Dregs, this one is called Bridges, an amazing song! I think this one was 8 or 10 cameras, multichannel audio recording engineer was Mike Smith, mixing engineer was the bands bass player, Gunnar Jacobson.