bwilling

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Everything posted by bwilling

  1. Do you have any idea what Cookie has invested in tooling to be able to sell a 'plastic' helmet? If you've never been involved with that business, you'd be shocked at what it cost to tool up those two designs, and what they have to charge to recoup that investment before it becomes hugely profitable.... "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  2. I looked at both of those systems, and they both look good too! One of our pilots has used Swoopware back when he shot video at another DZ, and spoke super highly of it. I didn't care for Peregrine's licensing model, but it has some really nice features! I think properly implemented any of the three will work well, but there just wasn't any reason for us to change from the Vegas/PA system we were already using, especially with the improvements they made to PA version 2. It's a pretty efficient system. "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  3. Vegas and Production Assistant is the best solution if you're looking for 'real' automation and editing down to a 'few minutes'. We use it at my DZ, and our customers leave with video and stills in hand after their jump. I can hit the packing floor on a 16 minute call, drop my rig, run upstairs, edit, burn, run back downstairs, deliver, and be shooting my next interview by the 8 minute call. One of my full time guys can do that, AND PACK. Sony sells a (somewhat!) less expensive version of Vegas called Vegas Edit that doesn't include all the bells and whistles, but would work fine in conjunction with PA. You'd need to purchase DVD Architect separately or use the version that come with Movie Studio though... "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  4. Best still - any of the Canon EOS line - even the older XT and XTI cameras are high enough resolution, and readily available used for cheap. Keep in mind that a bad opening can (and I've seen it recently!) rip that helmet right off your head. Or that you might have to cut it away... Best video - Any of the Sony CX line, again including the older CX100, CX110, and CX150's which can be purchase used for cheap. Best helmet - totally agree with DSE, Bonehead FTP or Sky Systems Wes Vapor Pro. Get a cutaway system on it. ;-) "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  5. The dot on on the glasses doesn't work like a ring sight in one important regard. It's not mounted to the helmet like the camera. IF your glasses and your helmet go back on the same way every time, the relationship between the sight and the lens is maintained, if not, if something shifts, the relationship changes. The wider the lens, the less critical this is. The major advantage (and disadvantage as a snag hazard!) is that the ring sight is mounted to the helmet, along with the camera, so unless the camera or sight get bumped and moved, the relationship between them is always the same, regardless of helmet or glasses/goggles positioning. I've shot both, both will work. Members of our video staff shoot both too. It's a matter of personal preference, just like lens choice. Because of the close proximity to my eye, I found the dot on the goggles to be annoying, more so than looking through a ring sight mounted further out. YMMV. "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  6. Ha! That's what I wanted... a parachute that opened just like my Storm but flew and landed more like the Katana! The Crossfire2 is not as 'sporty feeling' as the Katana at the relatively low wing loading that I'm jumping at (1.4-1.5), but I thought is was a better overall compromise between openings and flight performance than the Katana was, and a better 'next step' for me. YMMV Good luck on your search, and welcome back! ;-) "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  7. That's exactly what I thought when I saw the title of this thread! I have over 500 jumps on various Spectres, almost a thousand on a couple of same sized Storms, and just finished a round of demoing higher performance canopies including the Crossfire2 and the Katana, after which I purchased a Crossfire2. I'll limit my input to this... if you're considering a Spectre class canopy, you should also consider the Storm. Having owned and jumped both, it's the ONLY 7 cell I would consider owning now. In fact my original plan was to downsize my Storm, until I started demoing 'sportier' options. It's more ground hungry than the Spectre, but lands much better in my opinion. My pair of Storms had Dacron lines, and they are simply the best opening canopies I've ever jumped. Less snivel than the Spectre, but nice controlled soft openings. Just another canopy to consider since the Spectre was on the list... "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  8. I'm glad that works for you, you're right in that it is one less snag hazard! And I've seen some of your videos, you do nice work! How wide a lens do you normally shoot for tandems, and how do you sight if not a ring sight? With a wide enough lens you can get away with no sight at all, knowing where the center is just doesn't matter, the camera is going to capture it all anyway. But I prefer to run as narrow a lens as the situation permits for a variety of reasons... I'd miss not knowing where the precise center is! "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  9. I have people asking me about working in the video dept. for the school now that I'm 'in charge' of it, and one of the first thing I ask them is how many camera jumps they have... they all want to tell me how many jumps they have wearing a camera. They are NOT the same thing! I then ask them how many CAMERA jumps they have, where their only function on the skydive was to shoot outside video, to maintain a consistent distance, and to keep the subject matter in frame the entire skydive. I'd argue that for that job, a ringsight is still a valuable tool, and running a wide enough lens setup to not need it does not improve the quality of your outside video. "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  10. We're still delivering DVD's too, but it's pretty obsolete at this point! I'd venture to guess that *most* folks have some means to play back higher resolution footage (Blu Ray player or media player or both) to a fairly large television these days! The problem for us is that we edit on the fly, and there's no room on a short call for the workflow to take ANY longer than it already does and still make the next load. I'll be doing lots of experimenting this winter to figure out how to bring us in the 21st century, but it will be limited by time available. How long does it take you guys to produce a video and deliver that are pushing out HD footage already? "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  11. We don't use PA to import the files from media, but your default settings don't specify to overwrite files. And in order for that to happen, it would seem like you would need to name the project(s) the same thing. Is that the case? "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  12. Production assistant is a Vegas plugin, a separate piece of software you need to purchase, which I believe only works with Vegas Pro versions and not Vegas Movie Studio. It is definitely a slick way to automate video production in Vegas though, and highly recommended if you go the Vegas route... I do very, very little 'editing' on our tandem videos... Production Assistant and Vegas do most of the work. ;-) "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  13. One of the video guys at Dallas is jumping a T4i, and loves it. I could probably put in touch with him if you wanted, I have an email address and will see him this weekend. "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  14. If it plays at all, you have the appropriate plugins/codecs installed. Decoding video streams requires lots of computational power, and if it's not able to keep up, you see the results you're seeing. I have the same problem on an older (Windows) laptop I own. The only real solutions using the existing laptop is to shoot at lower bit rate settings, or trans-code the original to a lower bit rate file for playback on that machine, which will preserver the original HD file. "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  15. I haven't used it, but there's a free version of Lightworks available... http://www.lwks.com/ "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  16. Nice shots! "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  17. I tell all the new 4 way camera guys the same thing... if you're jumping a wide angle adapter you can't be too close unless you're hitting them, and you're never as steep as you think you are. Get closer and steeper. Most 4 way video folks jump wide angle adapters because we start too close to the team on exit to have them in frame, and we need to get some distance between us by leading or trailing the exit. The better the team, the faster this needs to happen, as they'll transition to the second point quicker on the hill. A wide angle adapter decreases the distance we need to bring them in frame. It's great for exit, but sucks for the rest of the skydive, because now you have to fly really close, which makes it harder to get steeper because you're closer to their burble. I'd recommend starting without a wide angle adapter for a rookie team, and see how it goes. They're not likely going to transition quickly, and in fact, if they're smart, they're probably only launching a small handful of formations. None of which are likely to even be the actual first point (it's a throw away to get them launched), so you have plenty of time to get them in frame. Then you can fly a safer distance from them for the rest of the dive. One our most experienced camera guys at my DZ never jumps a wide angle for 4 way... he leads them enough to get the exit separation he needs to get them in frame quickly. His video is amazing. He literally looks like he's shooting from directly over the top of them. "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  18. I'm using 8 gig cards too, and have been for years. "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  19. Thanks, that's what I've been doing at home, and even started doing originally at the school, but most of the video staff have switched to templates with velocity envelopes. I didn't really miss it at home until I had it available at the school. Oh well, I can always upgrade at home... it's only money! But if I upgrade, then I'm going to want Production Assistant.... and Twixtor. I'd guess if you have the budget to be shooting RED or ARRI gear, the cost of Vegas Pro wouldn't be an issue for you. ;-) "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  20. I have that book, it's been a huge help in learning the Vegas products! The video concession at SDD uses Vegas Pro (and your Production Assistant), and I use Movie Studio at home now. I just noticed from the screen shots that he was running Movie Studio, and thought that might have been part of the confusion. How much do you do with Movie Studio? I'd think if I had Pro available at home, I'd never touch Movie Studio... I already miss velocity envelopes when I'm editing at home now. "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  21. DSE is using Vegas 11 Pro, you're using Vegas 11 Movie Studio. They're similar, but not the same product (or price! LOL) That's where your confusion is occurring. ;-) "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  22. You've gotten a lot of good advice, but I'll add one thing to that mix, centered around equipment. I know a lot of tandem and 4 way video folks that shoot really wide angle lenses, for exit framing and to be up close and personal for tandems. I personally wouldn't recommend something like a .38 for bigger way formations. Exit frame is simply less critical, and a narrower lens allow you to fly farther back from the formation, where you're less likely to get burbled, and better able to see the folks on the outside making their approach. I've shot my .55 on our monthly 16-22 ways group, and have actually considered trying it with no wide angle adapter at all. Oh yeah, one more thing. The burble on a 20 way is really big. "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  23. I heard the same thing at the SVCO tunnel earlier this week, from a couple of folks I would consider to be very reliable sources. They told us it was a done deal, that money was in place, and they were breaking ground this week. I love the staff at SVCO, but I'm SO ready to have a tunnel within relatively easy driving distance. My CC is going to be getting a workout! ];-) "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  24. Good thread! I've never been on the small canopy bandwagon, but I'm also doing something I thought I'd never do, jump a canopy under 200 square feet! It took me 10 years and 1500 jump to go from 230 square feet to 190 square feet, so I doubt I'll ever go smaller than my Storm 190 loaded about 1.3, and I purposely left room in my container sizing to go back the other way! I'm not getting any younger! "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."
  25. Your concern should be not with the age or number of jumps, but with the number of repacks. PD wants it back for a full factory inspection at 40 repacks (or 25! jumps), which a reserve of that vintage could be approaching or at... The number of repacks is supposed to be recorded on the data label on the tail of the canopy. "If all you ever do is all you ever did, then all you'll ever get is all you ever got."