Blue Box suggestions

[stonepatterson]

Back story -- Was in the Dominican Republic past few weeks. Shot a lot of 720p footage on a digital still and SD on a DSR 150 DVcam camera, (I cannot afford yet, an EX-3 camera). Camera(s) used were on tripods to run for minutes, (ample footage was shot) also used panorama style of shooting, different angles, etc. -- of fantastic landscapes to be used for backdrops (with green screen). My audio is from the DVcam, far superior over the digital still camera's audio. Trying to cover everything I possibly can.

Equipment -- I have S6000 (Bogart 5) with Blue Box World. I love the past SD conversion to HD projects on the S6000 done so far, I also use photoshop on my Mac Pro to set up stills to 16 X 9 HD format and do the 16 megapixel - 'ken burns' effect, then drop to HD format for transfer to S6000 through media manager. Thus will allow me to use many on location 'still' shots for additional backdrops.

Goal -- Plan to use DVcam and 720p footage that was shot side to side on a tripod (on location) and combine through horizontal blending on S6000 in the HD setting.

Help -- I will have 'talent' inserted into foreground with the DR backdrops. How can I get the best image quality, separation, using the above location footage and the S6000 with the Blue Box World software? What are your past experiences? What do I need to watch out for?

I have several productions lined up using this footage (over 5 hours worth of backdrop footage was recorded). I could never afford ($$$$$) to have the cast at the location(s) and most of the projected footage is interior anyway and will be shot locally in the States. Final productions will be on BluRay and standard DVD-R. Some footage will go up on Internet, YouTube and my website(s) in 720 and SD.

Please, as many suggestions and comments are welcomed. Going for best image possible in SD and 720, I have limited experience with Blue Box. I have been given great advice on these boards in the past. Hope some will have ideas and suggestions.

[LouBruno]

Totally lost what the goal is-sorry. Are you mixing 4:3 SD material with 720P HD-16:9? One a foreground and the other a background?

Why Media Manager and not the BOGART RECORD window for importation? Curious.

Are you using 4:22 color spacing with the HDSLR camera, which is the proper color spacing for Green Screen to avoid pixel shifting around the edges of your talent?

Just trying to line up the questions to help out here.

NOTE: If you upconvert the SD material to 1920X1080i, it will not look proper. Now, even with the 16:9 setting on the PD-150, there is a severe loss of resolution as the 4:3 chip is being cropped to 16:9 and not using the entire chip-it is actually a masking.

Personally, I would stick with a SD project. The Foreground will have a resolution loss and the background will be too sharp to match the foreground in HD. Like mixing Apples and Oranges. Good news is that you can use the OPT button on the BOGART side to make a MP4 file to work with the internet.

Blu-ray will be overkill if using a SD foreground unless the project require a 25Gb disc, then you would have to use the upconvert method and it" ain't goin to look pretty."

When the time comes to you BlueBox World, check with Chet's site. If you did not use 4:2:2, the TRANSITION button in Blue Box World will be your best friend-among other adjustment buttons.

[stonepatterson]

Don't be sorry, Mr. Bruno. I did not explain my goals very well. I apologize to you, I am not the best at explaining tech terms -- I only know enough to get myself on trouble. AND. I am always in tech trouble !

Have not been on the boards for a while, sorry, just got back from the Caribbean @ those heavenly 90 degree beaches. With some help from Dennis in Colorado, (thanks so much) I am stumbling through my project -- combining photoshop via a 2006 MAC PRO (so old I can't update it's software), thumb drives and high-end scanners, etc. (I have little $$$$ to spend).

The project looks pretty good in HD -- so far. Call it creative experimentation = three steps forward then two steps back. I will be putting the HD sample up at the end of the month. Would love comments and suggestions. Trying to market 'new' ideas using old-camera technology but ending up with a cutting-edge BluRay 'look' -- tho' most users of my productions will go the SD (DVD-R) route.

Thanks for trying to figure out what I was trying to say.

[BobFoster]

Just one comment to make the bluebox believable. For aesthetics use similar lighting to the background. i.e. if the background was shot on a cloudy or late in the day, use a subdued light on the talent. If the background is bright daylight, use a light on the talent to equal what the light would have looked like on location. I'll leave the technical comments to the pros.

[stonepatterson]

Bad news. Due to the lack of having a 4:2:2 HD camera -- I am staying away from Blue Box World. The 'look' sucked using my DVcam cameras, and I tried everything! Correct lighting, distance from green screen, etc. Just cannot get it right with DVcam! And if it don't look awesome, flush it!

My project, that is currently being finalized in edit, looks awesome on high-def monitors! Love my S6000 to date. Was shocked to find that the final edited footage came out at 61.8 Mbps! Most of the footage comes from photographs, slides and etc. using a pro scanner (set up for 16 X 9 HD edited on a Mac Pro with Photoshop) with some HD motion graphics and a (sort of) 'Ken Burns' effect -- then using a 32 Gb thumb drive for transfer from Mac Pro to S6000, plus additional footage at 720p from a cheap Kodak 35 mm digital still camera.

I converted to HD (@ 30p) footage shot on my DVcam (1999 Sony DSR 300) at 60i, then reduced using PIP (the image size on the HD project). Lined them up 3 X 3 -- side by side adding larger PIPs on top (using top PIP 's audio). Looks like it was all shot in HD. And very effective too.

Will put all up next month for your perusal. Can't wait to burn a BluRay in a few weeks! But want to have it 100% right before showing and releasing. Thanks for comments on and off these threads! Most were right on, DVcam really sucks in Blue Box World with HD as an end image!