Getting set up for video and stills

[PROGRESSIVE 0]

So I've taken the plunge and purchased a Sony PC350, but now I have to upgrade my computer and software. I currently have a Gateway computer that is running Windows 98.

I want to produce DVDs and stills. I have been looking at the Pinnicale Studio Movie Box DV that accommodates both digital and analog videos. I also have been looking at the Epson Sylus CX4600 for a printer, copier, scanner, and photo printer.

Finally, the computer that I am thinking of purchasing is:

The mother board is a AGP 8X, 400 MHZ.
The RAM is a 512 MB Mushkin DDR 400 / 2 GB max.
The hard drive is a 120 GB Western Digital 720 RPM.
A DVD burner, fire wire, flash card insert and CD ROM will also be incorporated, as well as a USB port.

And I really don't know what I am doing...

Any suggestions?

[lewmonst 0]

Always ask yourself what your goal is.

What kind of videos do you want to make? How long, how much rendering?
What do you want to do with the photos?

That's a big investment, do you have big plans?

peace
lew

http://www.exitshot.com

[PROGRESSIVE 0]

My idea was just to take pictures for my hang gliding business. I thought, If I'm taking pictures of my hanggliding tandem students, why don't I also take pictures for skydiving too?

Then I thought, If I take pictures for skydiving and hanggliding, why don't I get something that can do videos too?

So I bought the camcorder, and now its starting to mushroom big time! I know I can sell my stills and video to my hang gliding students/passengers, so that will help cover the costs. But I also would like to produce some DVDs and videos and re-make the old film, "Playground in the Sky," as well as some other films from ideas that I've had for a long time.

Yeah, I beginning to see that this is a bigger investment than I first thought, but oh well.

[ltdiver 3]

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[PROGRESSIVE 0]

What's the benefits with a Mac, over Windows?

[LouDiamond 1]

If you can afford it, put at least 1gb of memory on it as some programs rendering can bogg down your system. IMO, the draw back of PC based editing machines is that just booting up the computer with the OS and all the other installed crap takes some of your memory and system resources and pretty soon your system is slowed down or crawling when you go to edit a big project. Memory and storage space....go big and you won't be sorry.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[ltdiver 3]

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What's the benefits with a Mac, over Windows?

Seamless integration of quality media programs.
Ease of use.
Excellent customer service.

And that's just the start of it.

Any other Mac users want to add to the list?
ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[PROGRESSIVE 0]

I'm quickly coming to realize that this can be a huge money pit. I'll definitely look into the Mac, since I'm pretty much starting from scratch. Up until now, I never considered it.

If there's any other suggestions, I'm open to it.

[LouDiamond 1]

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If there's any other suggestions, I'm open to it.

Yeah, don't buy a MAC You already have a computer(PC) so making some upgrades in memory,hard drive and maybe a firewire card if you don't have one is all you really need to get and it will be way cheaper. Unless of course you are going to buy a PC machine and do nothing but video editing on it, in which case I would say go for that specific platform.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[ltdiver 3]

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I'm quickly coming to realize that this can be a huge money pit.

Oh, you're right. Skydiving camera-work is a labor of love...and a HUGE money pit no matter how you look at it.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[ltdiver 3]

Quote

You already have a computer(PC) so making some upgrades in memory,hard drive and maybe a firewire card if you don't have one is all you really need to get and it will be way cheaper.

Sorry, Lou. He remarked that he's 'pretty much starting from scratch'...

And if his computer is old enough to have Win98 on it...it's a dog and needs to be replaced anyway.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[LouDiamond 1]

Quote

He remarked that he's 'pretty much starting from scratch'...

In which case I would say go for a mid to high end Dell desktop they are insanely low priced right now and come with free printers/shipping right now. You should be able to get a really nice system from about 800-1200 depending how you configured it.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[ltdiver 3]

Kinda hard to tote a desktop to a hang gliding or skydiving operation isn't it?

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[mwabd1 0]

I am looking into getting a powerbook G4, does anyone use these for editing? They come with little memory and that worries me.

[freeflydrew 0]

I have a 17 inch Powerbook, and a 12 inch Powerbook, both of which I use for editing... the 17 has a Gig of RAM, and the 12 has 768. No problems on either, especially with a second monitor connected to extend the desktop. The new iMac is definitely a great machine, coming in a 17 or 20 inch configuration, with the G5 processor... and it's the All in one setup that Apple offers. Get to an Apple Store to check it out. G5 is comparable to anything windows based on the market. Then there's also the G5 tower. These tend to come in Dual Processor configurations, buyt Apple has recently offered the lower end single processor model which is very affordable.

Here's my take on the line:
The iBook is garbage...
-The 12 PB, very portable, powerful, small screen though.
-The 17 PB, more like a portable desktop than a laptop, likes to be on a desk and not your lapt, a little pricey, very powerful, very nice screen, IMO best laptop on the market (next to the 15 inch PB)
-The G5 iMac Very Affordable, Good screen size, Very Powerful, Not as Expandable as the G5 Tower
-The G5 Tower does not come with a monitor, is very powerful, very expandable, IMO the best desktop on the market.

Advantages of Apple over anything else:
No Viruses, No Pop ups, No Spyware... Period
Best Tech Support, Repair Process on the market
Visually and mechanically applealing products
Plug and Play with many, many digital devices, very rarely any need to install any software to make something work.
They come installed with a bundle of software that covers word processing, music organizing, photo organizing, dvd burning, movie editing, email, etc, etc...
The Mac operating system is built on UNIX which is basically bomb proof. I NEVER have to use force quit (equivelant of CTRL-ALT-DEL), nor restart my computer.

Disadvantages to Apple: you have to find new friends to steal software from...

Using an Apple computer is really a whole new experience with computers. People often switch to Macs, and rarely switch from a Mac to windows. You should really try to get to an Apple store to check out their lineup...

[docjohn 0]

Creating still images from digital video is fair quality at best. I do create a CD rom for my tandem customers and give them 20-30 still images (jpegs) taken from their video. Those images are OK for sending via email but forget blowing them up to 8x10. If you really want good still images, add a digital still camera.

Doc
http://www.manifestmaster.com/video

[murrays 0]

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I am looking into getting a powerbook G4, does anyone use these for editing? They come with little memory and that worries me.

Pop in more RAM...always the cheapest and best upgrade for any computer. 768 to a gig and you'll be fine.

I use an iMac flatpanel G4-800 with 768 mb of Ram.

--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

[murrays 0]

And, if you don't believe us, read this synopsis of the December Consumer Reports magazine that recommends the iMac G5.

{Some clarification about Mac viruses....the 60 viruses mentioned affect only pre OS X mac operating systems. As FreeFlyDrew points out, there are NO viruses that affect the curent OS. None, zip, zilch.}

Apple also tops the PC Magazine rankings for service and reliability.

You get a machine that has the hardware, operating system and software all produced by the same manufacturer....and the result is increased reliability and usability.

--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

[pope 0]

I second the vote for a mac.
more powerful programs, more stable OS, no Bill gates, No virus worries...
get a Mac, dude.
If you're into a desktop, a dual G5 will smoke just about anything off the shelf.
pope

[PROGRESSIVE 0]

Thanks for the advise guys/gal. I get the impression there's some die hard Mac users out there. The "no Bill Gates," thing almost sells me on getting the Mac, just for that reason.

We'll See.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Apart from "get a Mac", which is basically true if you are only going to use a pooter for media manipulation.

"I currently have a Gateway computer that is running Windows 98. "

Make sure you are running a 'later' version of 98, IE 98 SE, otherwise you won't be able to get started with a standard firewire card.

If you can, think about a USB2 /Firewire combined card, and get an external DVD burner.
Check out ADS for suitable stuff.http://www.adstech.com/ Most of their cards come with a software bundle that will get you into editing, then you can decide if you want to stump for more specialised software.

Partition the hard drive so that all your apps are on one partition with the video and assorted media on the other.

"the Pinnicale Studio Movie Box DV that accommodates both digital and analog videos"

Not necessary if you have a digital camcorder that can take analogue feeds into it. It looks like your PC350 will do this.
"I also have been looking at the Epson Sylus CX4600 "

I use a Canon i470d, it can operate stand alone (without a PC) and will act as a reader for a variety of media cards. If scanning/copying is not a huge issue, think about something similar.

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[op5e 0]

Quote

No Viruses, No Pop ups, No Spyware... Period
Best Tech Support, Repair Process on the market

The Mac operating system is built on UNIX which is basically bomb proof.

Disadvantages to Apple: you have to find new friends to steal software from...

First off you are full of BS to say "period" in terms of OSX and viruses. It does take alot of searching to find ANY virus that attacks macintosh, but there are viruses out there. Yes the macintosh is fairly safe from most expoits and viruses (if patched regularly). Gene Spafford uses macintosh for this reason.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/0,2000061744,39164062,00.htm

Do find it amusing how mac people are now praising BSD and so forth when they used to bitch about it. But I have to say apple have done a wonderful job of using a very stable operating system and making it both user friendly and functional.

You do have to find new friends to aquire your software and sometimes it is more expensive but it is normally easy to install and easy to use. Also you can use software like virtual pc so if you have manifest software that only runs on windows perhaps it might be able to run on your mac.

Depending on what you are after you can do some basic video editing on your camera (depending on camera also) and then press play on the camera and record on the video. This works for some jobs but not for others. But it is a way to start out.

If this is your first purchase for video editing I would suggest asking other people at the dropzone what they do, and to show you their laptop and watch them do a job or two to see if it is the kinda thing for you.

A bad video can leave long impressions on a first time jumper so I would personally do it properly or not do it at all. Also if you have to spend an extra 30min - hour after each handglide/jump is this time you could make more money in the air. In this case you might be better off getting someone who is a camera person already and getting a cut out of what he makes.

I have to say that I have only done a small number of jumps and have no experience doing camera work. I have had experence with avid, m100, premier, finalcut pro just to name a few systems (mind you i would still call myself a novice). With both mac and pc platforms and the product at the end is very similar they are just different ways of achieving it. As mentioned before, if you already have a system then try to use that to start with. If you are going to do all the editing at home then possibly a cheaper desktop might be an option.

Mind you video is just fun to have when you jump with friends, do RW or do something different, i know for this reason alone i will try to get kitted up as soon as I get enough jumps (and money). Either way have fun and please let me/us know how you go.

Sorry for telling anyone how to suck eggs, the long post, and if any of the above has been discussed to death before.

[op5e 0]

Sorry just a side point. I have not heard many people addressing the "stills" side of this question. Again I am very inexperienced in this area, but like always will throw in a few of my brain farts. I would personally not try to print out photos for sale as the photo shop down the road has a printer worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and you can pay a pittence per shot. Are you planning on using an SLR or a digital camera, or ekkk grabbing from video.

Have you thought of how this operation is going to work. Are you going to try to do as much as you can on the spot or do after and post to the client. Could you possibly develop negatives and ask if they also want to put it on CD, shops seem to do a great job now days and this way you dont have to learn photoshop etc.. Again taking photos is one thing, making them ready for print is another skillset in itself. I envy those who do it all, and do it well. How do most people do this?

Btw I know if have said some things in this thread that might create flames, please send to my PM and not mess up this thread where possible.

[freeflydrew 0]

Quote

Quote

No Viruses, No Pop ups, No Spyware... Period
Best Tech Support, Repair Process on the market

The Mac operating system is built on UNIX which is basically bomb proof.

Disadvantages to Apple: you have to find new friends to steal software from...

First off you are full of BS to say "period" in terms of OSX and viruses. It does take alot of searching to find ANY virus that attacks macintosh, but there are viruses out there. Yes the macintosh is fairly safe from most expoits and viruses (if patched regularly). Gene Spafford uses macintosh for this reason.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/0,2000061744,39164062,00.htm

FYI - I'm the Tech Lead in an environment with over 800 computers owned/used by Students/Families/Techers... I also work privately... In 7 years, I have NEVER seen a Mac infected with any type of virus, Spyware, or "Pop up" generating program. So it's not "BS", and anyone else out here with a Mac will also tell you that they've never had a virus.

[lewmonst 0]

Quote

Sorry just a side point. I have not heard many people addressing the "stills" side of this question. Again I am very inexperienced in this area, but like always will throw in a few of my brain farts. I would personally not try to print out photos for sale as the photo shop down the road has a printer worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and you can pay a pittence per shot. Are you planning on using an SLR or a digital camera, or ekkk grabbing from video.

I've avoided replying to this thread but it's about time to throw in a few thoughts. With a hanggliding business, I think the best plan is to start with JUST stills. You could easily mount a digital still to the wing with a wide angle lense and get some beautiful shots of the customers. And in 10 minutes when you land you can have them ready to print, show them the images on a LCD and print if they choose to buy. I've seen bungy-jumping and whitewater rafting companies do this very efficiently for a good profit. And I would say print them on your own. Film is old school and you won't get any feedback if you hand over a roll of 35mm. Digital is the only way to go. You also don't want to handout your image files, period. You can get a real photo-lab quality 8x10 printer for less than $1000. And you will pay it off quickly. What's that cliche, something like "when emotions are high, customers buy"... Basically, if you can sell on the spot, you will sell a lot more than, "oh hey, just run over to the lab down the street and they'll do it for you in about an hour..." Oh, and don't do video grabs, the technology is not there yet.

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Have you thought of how this operation is going to work. Are you going to try to do as much as you can on the spot or do after and post to the client. Could you possibly develop negatives and ask if they also want to put it on CD, shops seem to do a great job now days and this way you dont have to learn photoshop etc.. Again taking photos is one thing, making them ready for print is another skillset in itself. I envy those who do it all, and do it well. How do most people do this?

Yeah, this will be a work flow process that you need to figure out. It will, though, be much easier and much more profitable than video. Video would be a LOT more work for less return.
For the stills, show the customer maybe 4 or 5 good ones and if they decide to buy, print them without much or any manipulation at all. Yes, photoshopping is a skill, but you can learn a few tricks and get a shot ready to print in 5 minutes. It doesn't have to be perfect. I had proofs ready for viewing within 5 minutes of landing from a jump, by the time someone dropped their rig off to a packer and walked over, they could see the images to choose from. It would be easiest if you had a seperate salesperson to deal with this, but you could do it yourself in between customers.

Then, once you've started making some profit on the stills and have a good process figured out, you could tinker around with video as well.

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Btw I know if have said some things in this thread that might create flames, please send to my PM and not mess up this thread where possible.

Not flaming at all. Just my two cents. If I had a hang-gliding businees, I'd be all over selling stills.

peace
lew

http://www.exitshot.com