FOR THOSE WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT DIGITAL VIDEO …The complete guide to tripods. FOR THOSE WHO ARE...

Hawk-Woods VL-CF3 JVC GY-HD100 battery adaptorNigel Cooper carries out a comprehensive review/tutorial on this great battery adaptor.

Issue 4 • October 2006 • www.dvuser.co.uk • £3.50

NEWS • REVIEWS • FEATURES • ARTICLES • TUTORIALS • TECHNIQUES • TIPS • COMPETITIONS

Sony XDCAM HD on Land Rover G4 ChallengeSony XDCAM HD passes first European production field test. Engineer Phil Seymour takes us on a tour of this production adventure.

The new Libec LS38 tripod is here!Nigel Cooper reviews this brand new budget-priced tripod from Japanese manufacturer Libec.

Rode & Boom-Buddy marriage Nigel Cooper reviews the new Rode mic boom pole and the Boom-Buddy boom pole holder.

How to Setup, Light & Shoot Great Looking InterviewsLatest training DVD from Vortex Media. Nigel Cooper takes a look.

Tripod Info BaseThe complete guide to tripods.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCTION & NON-LINEAR EDITING

JVC GY-HD100 Hits The Road - LiterallyExtreme cameraman Franz Pagot has been abusing the JVC GY-HD100 in Europe.

Frame-grab from cover-mount DVD

Hello DVuser subscribers and welcome to issue 4,

the final issue for 2006, and what a great issue it

is too. You will have noticed that there is a cover-

mounted DVD with this issue; a first for DVuser magazine.

As you know, DVuser is a free magazine, but this is not

the reason for a lack of cover-mounted DVDs in the

past. It would be very easy to throw together a so-called

giveaway DVD to stick on the cover to make it appear like

the magazine is better value; DVuser magazine stands up

on its own without one. I don’t know how you feel, but if

I had a choice between paying £3.95 for an off-the-shelf

magazine with no DVD and £5.95 for an off-the-shelf magazine with a cover-mounted DVD that

contains nothing but futile PDF files, way out-of-date software giveaways that nobody cares

about, or pointless 30-day trial copies of software, that if you cared enough about you would go

to that company’s web site and download it anyway...

So I made a decision from the start that I would not stick any old crap on the cover of DVuser

magazine. It would have to be worthwhile, very worthwhile. Our first cover-mounted DVD is

something I’m very proud and privileged to glue on the front. We got together with Sony UK to

bring you this superb DVD. So what’s on it and who will be interested? Anyone who is interested

in Sony’s professional HD formats including XDCAM HD, and HDV cameras such as the Z1 ,

A1 and the brand new V1, and anyone who appreciates high-quality HD broadcast productions.

From a personal point of view, I’m a big fan of Sony’s XDCAM HD format. Almost the entire New

Zealand broadcast industry is shooting on XDCAM, and Discovery HD Channel has approved

the XDCAM HD format as a ‘100% acquisition format’, which basically means you can shoot an

entire programme on XDCAM HD alone and it will be acceptable for Discovery HD Channels.

To view the stunning Sony XDCAM HD footage and the behind the scenes at the 2006 Land

Rover G4 Challenge, pop the cover mounted DVD into your set-top DVD player. I say set-top as

(in my opinion) DVDs look better on TV than on a computer screen. NOTE: Although the footage

on this DVD was shot in High-Def XDCAM HD, it has been down-converted to Standard-Def

720x576 PAL as it is assumed that most people do not have the capabilities to view native HD

DVDs yet. Also read the full story that acompanies the DVD on page 6.

Also in this issue, there is a large emphasis on tripods. A review, a story, and a tripod info

base. Crazy Italian extreme cameraman Franz Pagot has been putting the JVC GY-HD101

through some seriously challenging conditions recently, as he used the camera to shoot some TV

programmes for some of the European terrestrial channels and a corporate for Mercedes Benz.

If you haven’t heard already, Sony recently announced the all-new HVR-V1E at IBC last month

(available to buy in UK November 2006). This new camera is priced a litttle lower than the Sony

Z1 (see page 4), only it shoots in HDV 1080i, and HDV1080p, that’s right, the new V1 shoots in

NATIVE 25P (Progressive) high-def; great for independent filmmakers after that great film look. It

would appear that the HVR-V1E will be the first serious competitor for the Panasonic HVX200.

Nigel Cooper Founder/Editor DVuser.co.uk

ContentsNEWS

4. All the latest news from the world of

digital video production and editing.

FEATURES

6. Sony XDCAM HD on location.

11. Royalty Free Music - how it works.

20. Don’t skimp on tripod.

28. Franz Pagot abuses a JVC GY-HD100.

TIPS & INFORMATION

35. Tripod Info Base.

TUTORIALS

24. Fitting a Hawk-Woods CF3 to JVC.

PROFILES

31. Dealer Profile on B-Hague.

REVIEWS

12. Libec LS38 tripod.

17. Rode boom pole & Boom-Buddy.

18. How to setup & light interviews DVD.

33. How to Shoot, Edit & Distribute HDV.

REGULAR ITEMS

40. Trade Directory.

Editor: Nigel Cooper - [email protected]

Sub Editor: Louise Wessman - [email protected]

Contributors: Franz Pagot, Phil Seymour.

Published by: DVuser, 8 Cornwall Court, Eaton Socon, St.Neots,

Cambs. PE19 8PR. Tel: 01480 374036

Advertising: 01480 374036 Subscriptions: 01480 374036 www.dvuser.co.uk/magazine.php

w w w . d v u s e r . c o . u k

The independent magazine for independent video producers & filmmakers

www.dvuser.co.uk • DVuser Magazine • October 2006 • 3

Opening Scene

©2006 DVuser. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by means of electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers. While every care has been taken in the compilation of this publication, we cannot accept responsibility for any publishing errors or inaccuracies, or for any other loss, direct or consequential arising in connection with any information contained within this publication. The views herein are not necessarily those of the publishers. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply recommendation by the publisher.

DVuser product review star ratings – how we star up our reviews.

1 star = poor, pitiful, appalling, atrocious, inexcusable - 2 stars = mediocre, second-rate, just average 3 stars = good, decent, fine, above average - 4 stars = great, first-rate, excellent, amazing, brilliant

5 stars = outstanding, exceptional, sheer brilliance, perfection, pure genius

Our final ratings are based on a combination of: build quality - durability - ruggedness - features controls - functionality - usability - cost of ownership i.e. tapes/media cards/servicing costs etc.

4 • October 2006 • DVuser Magazine • www.dvuser.co.uk

Canon is pleased to announce the launch of two

highly portable 1.67 Megapixel 3-CCD handheld

High Definition camcorders – the XH A1 and

the XH G1. The XH A1 features 25F (25 frame) shooting

and dedicated Cine gamma settings to achieve the look

and feel of film; the XH G1 establishes a new product

category, incorporating additional studio standard

connectivity.

The XH series offers: • HDV1080i with 1.67

Megapixel 3CCD imaging and 25F (frame) shooting for

digital film makers. • Canon L-series 20x optical zoom

lens with fluorite and Ultra-low Dispersion (UD) glass

elements and Super Range Optical Image Stabilizer (lens

shift type). • Instant AF for high-speed auto focusing

and focus Assist for manual operation. • Advanced

DIGIC DV II processor optimised for HD. • Professional

connectivity, with 2 channel XLR audio input: the XH G1

offers additional HD-SDI output, Time code input/output

and Gen lock input jacks for multi-camera setups. •

Balanced compact design, with optimal control layout. •

Internal battery system for enhanced versatility.

The quality of High Definition: Both camcorders benefit from the 1.67 Megapixel 3CCD imaging sensor first introduced on

Canon’s flagship HD camcorder, the XL H1. The HDV standard was developed as a way to store HD video on inexpensive and widely

available MiniDV cassettes – HDV1080i (1440x1080 pixels) provides the highest possible resolution under the standard. Since the

XH A1 and XH G1 use pixels with a native widescreen (16:9) aspect ratio of 1.333:1, video is actually displayed at the full 1920x1080

resolution of HD displays.

The XH A1 and XH G1 will be available from November 2006.

Price: XH A1 £3,299 inc VAT. XH G1 £4,699 inc VAT.

Canon UK – 08705 143723 - www.canon.co.uk

NEW HANDHELD HDV1080i CAMCORDERS FROM CANON

SONY INTRODUCES THE NEW HVR-V1E HDV CAMCORDER FEATURING NATIVE PROGRESSIVE SCAN (25P) HIGH-DEF SHOOTING!

Progressive scan (25p) capability and full HDV

resolution. The HVR-V1E is a compact and lightweight

professional HDV camcorder - sharing similar

dimensions to the popular DSR-PD170P. The HVR-V1E is the

first Sony professional camcorder to incorporate 3 ClearVid

CMOS sensors. Coupled with Sony’s Enhanced Imaging

Processor (EIP) these sensors provide high sensitivity, low

noise and a wide dynamic range to help achieve high-quality,

smearless images. In addition to offering 1080/50i acquisition,

the V1 also provides 25p shooting - making it ideal for film-

makers with smaller budgets and those who wish to create

a more cinematic look and feel to their production. Unlike

‘progressive-look’ pictures interpolated from interlace scan

camera systems, the HVR-V1E’s “3 ClearVid CMOS Sensor”

system natively captures progressive scan images while

maintaining full HDV resolution (1080). Moreover, footage

shot using the progressive scan feature can be played back on any Sony HDV professional camcorders and VTRs and can be edited

with major current non-linear editing systems, including Sony, Adobe, Apple, Avid and Canopus. Other professional features include

timecode preset function, two XLR microphone inputs, a timecode link to synchronise time codes between multiple cameras and

HDV/DVCAM/DV recording and playback for flexible workflow options.

The HVR-V1E is scheduled for release in November 2006 and is the sister product of the HDR-FX7E, the latter is aimed at the

consumer market. The HVR-V1E is expected to be around £3,395 inc vat. For more info visit: www.sonybiz.net


NEWS €€€

NEW RYCOTE SMOOTHIE!

Rycote is pleased to announce the launch of a fruity new addition to the range

- the Smoothie. These new and exciting smooth windshields are available in 5

delicious flavours (blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, banana and lime) and not

only offer great wind protection, but as an optional extra they can also be personalised

with a printed colour logo of your choice!

The Smoothies comprise of a two-part foam cavity constructed of an open cell

acoustic foam base, covered by a thin foam outer skin, reducing wind noise up to

22dB. A large range of sizes are available to fit most popular shotgun and condenser

microphones (from 19 mm to 25 mm diameter), as well as a variety of on-board

camera microphones. For increased wind protection a removable fur cover (Smoothie

Windjammer) is available as an optional extra in the standard Rycote grey fur.

Smoothies: £42 plus vat

Smoothie Windjammer: £36 plus vat

For further details of the Smoothies, please visit our website at: www.rycote.com or

give us a call on: 01453 759338.

HHB ANNOUNCES NEW RØDE STEREO VIDEOMIC TO CAPTURE AUDIO LEFT, RIGHT AND CENTRE!

Answering industry demand for a high-quality camera-

mounted stereo microphone, Australian manufacturer Røde

has announced the Stereo VideoMic (SVM) which is now

available from UK distributor HHB Communications. Aiming to build on

the unprecedented success of Røde’s existing shotgun-style VideoMic,

the SVM is designed to capture detailed stereo audio, offering the

same performance levels as its mono VideoMic counterpart.

Based on the company’s acclaimed ultra-low noise microphone

technology, the SVM features an X/Y configuration that meets the

challenge of professional stereo field recording by imposing a high

level of rear noise rejection, whilst retaining the essential ambient

sound of the recording environment.

The SVM attaches to the camera with a standard shoe-fitting, and

includes a removable high wind furry windshield (known as the ‘Dead

Kitten’) and an integral suspension mount, designed to prevent mechanical camera noise bleeding into the captured audio. Increasing its versatility,

the SVM can also be used on a stand or a boom pole, making it ideal for a wide-range of applications from interviews and electronic news gathering

to weddings and sports events. The SVM features the same low-noise circuit design as the VideoMic, 9V battery operation (with LED low-power

indicator) and a high-pass filter switch. Output is via a standard 3.5mm mini jack with a switchable –10dB pad, allowing the mic to be used on most

cameras with perfect level control.

Steve Angel, Sales Director at HHB Communications, Røde’s exclusive UK distributor, says: “While the original Rode VideoMic has rapidly

become the industry standard shotgun mic for camcorder users, it became clear that there was a similar need for a great-sounding camera mic for

those users preferring to work in stereo. The SVM meets that need in a robust, affordable, high-quality package.”

Available now from HHB, the Røde Stereo VideoMic is competitively priced at £159.00. Web site: www.hhb.co.uk

The Boom-Buddy allows the sound recordist or one-man operation to use

a hand-held microphone boom on a lighting stand without the need to

carry a dedicated mic-stand,

lazy arm, weights or having to re-rig.

The fabric case it comes in can also

be used to hold a spare battery

should a counter-balance weight be

required. The Boom-Buddy can be

used in a clamped inverted position

where a stand would be impractical.

Price: £59.99 in VAT available

from Fleetwood films on:

01256 353444 or

visit: www.boom-buddy.com

Read full review on page 17

THE NEW BOOM-BUDDY - no more mic stands, counter weights or lazy arms!


During this year’s Land Rover G4

Challenge, Sony XDCAM HD

camcorder equipment was put to

the ultimate test of heat, cold, humidity and

dust. Spanning across four countries and two

continents, 28 days of gruelling competition

pushed the BHP Sport production team to

the limit as they filmed 18 competitors climb,

kayak, abseil, bike and drive across 4,000 km.

Here, engineer Phil Seymour, takes us on a

tour of this production ‘adventure’.

The team at BHP covered the previous G4

Challenge for Land Rover in 2003 and were

involved with its predecessor, the Camel

Trophy, as far back as 1990. Sony too has

been a long-standing partner from those early

days when we were shooting in Beta SP. While

we shot the 2003 Challenge on Beta SX, we

really wanted to embrace HD this year to

ensure the long-term commercial value of the

pictures we shot.

After discussions with Sony we opted for,

as then the unreleased, XDCAM HD and

took three PDW-F350s and two PDW-F330s

with five PDW-F70 playback decks. It was

a bit of a gamble because the technology

had never been put to such an ultimate test,

but when weighed up against the format’s

speed and workflow advantages, we decided

it was definitely worth taking the risk. The

weight saving was great too: shooting on 90

minute Professional Discs (the media used by

XDCAM) meant we not only had more room

for additional cameras, but our freight costs

(around $34/kilo) were reduced significantly.

We were also pleased at being able to fit our

75 out of the 120 boxes of kit into three Land

Rovers together with crew, driver and camping

gear with much less difficulty than 2003. No

more car boots full of tapes this time!

Sony gave us a demo XDCAM HD unit in

December last year but we didn’t get our

hands on the equipment until two days before

flying out to shoot the first stage in Bangkok

last April. Our camera operators, Nick Guy and

Daryl Kibblewhite, spent a day setting up the

five units for consistency of look and tested a

range of HD lenses. It’s important to get the

colour temperature right, so the tones slightly

exaggerate the warmth and richness or the

crisp cold daylight of what you’re shooting.

Our executive producer, Simon Fitzgerald,

wanted a more golden tone to accentuate the

heat of South East Asia and a touch of blue to

mimic the cold, fresh atmosphere on the high

Bolivian plains.

Stage one in Bangkok was frenetic, bustling

and challenging. The most worrying aspect

for me and the team was the intense heat

- 40 degrees Celsius - and the humidity. It

was crucial we didn’t get any condensation or

moisture in the cameras. Anything on the lens

could corrupt the recording, just like dirt in a

tape environment which lifts the tape away

from the record heads. They had to stay in

the same conditions throughout so we had


to maintain a constant camera temperature.

This meant no air-conditioning in hotel rooms

and vehicles. But the last thing you want with

any camera is to have to play around with

the temperature controls. We acclimatise

the cameras once and keep them that way. I

figured sweaty bodies were better than sweaty

lenses with the whole shoot ruined. We got

some great stuff in Bangkok of the competitors’

punishing tasks and were extremely happy

with the equipment and the file-based

workflow.

But the second stage shoot in a stunning

forest location in Laos proved one of the

production’s most satisfying. We headed north

from Bangkok for two weeks of isolated filming

in misty mountains and valleys along the

Mekong River. The scenery was spectacular

but it was even hotter than Bangkok at 46

degrees Celsius and 95% humidity, and we

were recording using two lenses alongside the

standard XDCAM HD PDW-330 lens – 40x1

HD lenses with image stabiliser and 20x1 HD

lenses, plus a wide angle lens. There was

also torrential rain to factor in which I found a

real pain. Again, moisture on the lens was a

major issue but we managed and the results

were fantastic. The competition at this stage

involved jungle, mud and water crossings that

provided us with exciting (and mind-bogglingly

steep) 4x4 driving action as well as lung-

busting multi-sport challenges. I found the

XDCAM HD equipment really stood up well to

the tough filming locations which varied from

the vast cathedral of Tham Xiangliab Cave

- home to bats, turtles and hanging shards

of rock-like dripping candle wax - to Laos’

immense limestone pinnacles.

As well as filming the whole event for Land

Rover, we were commissioned to produce five,

30 minute internationally sold programmes.

The UK’s Channel 4 aired the series in August.

We also produced several pre-and post-event

promos; four-hour competitor specific versions

for each of the 18 competing nations and five

10-minute satellite-fed weekly Video News

Releases (VNRs), which enabled broadcasters

to cut together their own news reports or

include in magazine programmes.

After Laos came Brazil and we were all

looking forward to a bit of civilisation and a

more cosmopolitan atmosphere in Rio de

Janeiro. The competition took in the world

famous Copacabana beach with all its glamour

and energy. Here, we also used an HDW-

750 HDCAM camcorder predominately for

helicopter filming, which provided us with

beautiful shots of the landscape.

The Rio de Janeiro stage was an urban event

on the beach so we flew several passes to

capture the magnificent sweep of the bay. The

additional HDCAM footage was being used

for high-end commercial and potential cinema

outlets.

FEATURE STORY €€€


After stage 3 in Brazil, we all moved on to

rugged and beautiful Bolivia. The competition

gets extremely punishing here as the

Challenge rises up into the Andes through the

vast salt plains of Salar de Uyuni to climax at

an altitude of over 4,000m. The massive salt

plain was a worry as salt is highly dangerous

and erosive to camera equipment so we had

to be extremely careful with the gear. We were

filming the competition in vehicle convoys

over rugged terrain and high-altitudes where

temperatures dropped to minus 20 degrees

overnight. And it wasn’t just the extremes of

cold on this stage of the competition. The

camcorder equipment also had to contend with

billowing dust clouds where fine dust particles

would get everywhere. I’ve never seen such

annoying, fine, chalky dust as I did during this

stage of the Challenge. Despite all this, the

XDCAM HD did its job well and we also got

stunning overhead shots of the bright orange

vehicles speeding across the snow-white

Uyuni salt flats.

We had to cover as many angles per event

as possible to fulfil different market needs

with individual competitor stories. This meant

getting some more ‘high risk’ shots during

kayaking, mountain biking or rock-climbing.

So our cameramen were also using two

HVR-Z1Es (with waterproof housing for river

shots) and an array of HVR-A1E palmcorders

for FX shots attached to the kayaks, bikes

and helmets. Our cameramen got into some

amazing situations acquiring this content, but

the shots really enhanced our final edits. The

A1s were used for obscure positions on arms

under bridges or small mats in the ground

near driving courses. These were really great

alternative angles that we couldn’t otherwise

get into. The Z1s were typically used by a

specialist camera operator who filmed on

mountain faces attached to ropes. They also

had to contend with bats and other nasty flying

insects and were sometimes asked to get into

pretty uncompromising positions to get those

killer shots.

One of our cameramen, Nick Guy, had to

get right in with the action and get shots that

were really up close to the competitors. That

meant getting himself and his camera into

some tricky positions. For example on stage

one in Laos, hanging off Sabidi Pinnacle on

a rope for half a day to shoot the abseiling

section of a competition. Nick said that in

that type of scenario he didn’t really want the

weight of the XDCAM HD on his shoulder so

instead put the Z1 to the test. There were two

XDCAM HDs covering the action from below,

another cameraman, Rene, in a clearing

directly under the cliff and another, Ollie, about

a quarter of a mile away with a 40x lens. Being

so much smaller and lighter meant Nick could

move himself and the camera around freely

and safely, while still shooting HD resolution

that would cut well with footage from the

XDCAM HD camcorders.

The same event involved the competitors

scaling the back of the pinnacle using

Via Ferrata techniques. We had another

cameraman, Eric, positioned on the lower

half with his XDCAM HD but there was simply

nowhere on the route to locate another

manned camera. The pinnacle was so heavily

covered in trees and vegetation that even

the longest lens would have struggled to get

a shot from the ground. The solution was to

deploy two of our Sony A1s at strategic points

on the route. Being so small and light meant

Nick could mount the cameras in some very

difficult spots. He clamped one half-way up a

tree overhanging one of the more sheer parts

of the route and another, using a magic arm,

to a flake of rock. These shots may have only

been a few seconds of each team but they

meant we had coverage of an exciting and

challenging part of the competition that would

otherwise have been missed completely.

Many of the events involved kayaking

or swimming. Nick used the Z1 in a Gates

waterproof housing to get right in amongst the

action. Quick moves with the camera in and

out of the water were what executive producer

Simon wanted here, so once again it was the

size of the Z1 that was the critical factor.

I was so impressed with the quality and

speed at which the images were captured.

The XDCAM HD images are of exceptional

clarity. And, with all the extra fiddling you have

to do with tape, there’s no way we’d be able

to get as much shot, finished and delivered.

Prior to each day’s shoot, we would select one

location from the six daily competition venues

as most suitable for television coverage. We’d

then split the five camera teams into positions

marked out by GPS and a map. We always

knew before setting off exactly how we were

€€€ FEATURE STORY

Producer Profile: BHP Sport is a highly

experienced independent producer,

specializing in productions for broadcasters

as well as numerous blue-chip clients.

Current productions include the 2006

Speedway Grand Prix series, Goodwood

Festival of Speed and Revival.


going to cover the story.

Post-production was set up at base camp, in

a city for each stage of the Challenge. Editors

were based in a hotel and they moved weekly

to the next location. The camera crews were

often hundreds of kilometres away so the discs

were helicoptered back. The producer looked

through the thumbnails (Sony calls it Proxy

video) and footage information and we would

discuss the ‘story of the day’ over the phone

so he knew what shots to look for and how the

edit should take shape.

We knew at the outset we were going to

benefit from the option of accessing clips

instantly from the disc. We could open up and

play thumbnails in-camera, discuss specific

stories with each other and begin to see how

the shots match-up. For the quick turnaround

projects like the VNRs, editors could open up

the recordings and immediately understand

what to do, which proved a huge advantage

over tape. We were using Apple Final Cut Pro

so looking at footage in thumbnail form makes

the whole editing process more streamlined.

We just put the XDCAM HD disc in, created

the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ on the thumbnails, hit

‘import’ (which is much faster than real time),

cut the VNR edit together and dumped it onto

SX for playout. We also edited together little

‘web vignettes’, which we laid off onto DVD

and handed to Land Rover onsite.

VNR playout was usually at a local facility

booked in advance. The most harrowing

experience was in Sucre, Bolivia where I

arrived at the ‘facility’ (in the loosest possible

terms) to find a basic 1970s rack, a 21” Sony

TV, a table top and a couple of BNC cables.

Luckily, I connected our SX laptop to the

‘system’ and playout was fine. We always fed

back to London and global distribution of the

pictures happened from there.

We’re planning to acquire a PDW-F350 and

2 PDW-F70 decks on return to the UK and

will continue to use it for the workflow benefits

it provides – chiefly the easy access to

thumbnail and footage information – combined

with the high quality production values we can

achieve. We’re also planning to begin shot

selection and logging in-camera but the sheer

volume of footage (nine x 90 minute discs per

day – 300 discs in total) and the tight daily

deadlines to deliver to post means we’ve yet to

explore this option.

Overall we were really happy with the

XDCAM HD kit. I think we combined the

benefits of shooting on disc – chiefly the

easy access to information – at the same

time as using top end lens power and robust

equipment to create programming with very

high quality production values.

If you’re thinking about shooting on HD for

the first time, I would definitely recommend

it as an entry level choice. Depending on the

programme type and brief, we’ll certainly be

considering using it again at BHP Sport.


[Ed. Note] To view the stunning Sony XDCAM HD

footage, pop the cover-mounted DVD into your

set-top DVD player.

Simon Fitzgerald Joint Managing Director of the BHP Group

A good music score is essential to your

production. Sourcing this music can

..be quite a headache if you go through

the normal copyright clearance channels, and

can be expensive. All music recordings are

protected by copyright and using this music

on your production requires permission from

the recording copyright owners, usually large

faceless record companies who make up rate

cards and play God on the decision to allow

you to use well known themes from a major

film or the latest pop sensation usually taking

many months to reach a decision.

One simple and very cost-effective approach

to finding music for your next production

is to purchase direct from a Royalty Free

Music library. In the past Royalty Free Music

has been tarnished with a reputation for low

production values, and whilst there still may

exist companies churning out ropey cheesy

themes which would not sound out of place

in some seedy pornographic adventure, we

at AKM have worked tirelessly at changing

producers’ perceptions by delivering first class

music tracks that now feature extensively on

TV stations throughout the world .

Our music CDs can match traditional

production libraries to such an extent now

that the MCPS, who help clear music for DVD

and video, have had to alter their rate cards

to try and simplify music clearance. Evidence

indeed that the MCPS now view us as a real

competitor, and our presence in the ‘music for

visual’ market is now being taken seriously.

So how does royalty free music actually

work. My intention when I set up AKM Music

in 1995 was to make the procedure of using

music on a media production a hassle free

experience. It’s really quite simple. We

produce and own the copyright to over 2,000

music tracks which enables us to license the

purchaser the right to dub the music onto

their productions. Not just one production, but

many. There are no restrictions on territory or

number of copies or broadcast. You can use

the music for personal or professional projects,

massive DVD runs for distribution and sale,

TV globally and even on websites. You can

use the music for any length and can shorten

or extend it. You own the right to use the

music for your lifetime. The only restriction we

enforce is that the purchaser cannot sell the

music CD to another user. So we never see

our CDs on ebay, otherwise we would go out

of business. We do not even demand a credit,

but most producers add one and there’s no

better recommendation.

The approach is so different from normal

production music libraries. You do not pay per

30 second blocks which can really mount up

to a considerable cost. It does not matter how

many times you use the music from our CDs.

OK, we do not send out hundreds of free CDs

as we depend on the purchase price of the

CD or track download, but you can audition

the music from our website. Previews on the

website take little time and you can quickly

pinpoint the track or CD you need and order

and receive the CD the next day, or in the case

of a download, instantly.

The aim was to cut out all the red tape,

form filling and confusing and vague usage

restrictions and allow producers to concentrate

on the creative process of using good quality

music to enhance their productions without

the fear of treading on someone’s copyright

and at an amazing price. That’s the beauty of

simplicity.

So how much does this cost? Each CD costs

only £32.95 including VAT and delivery.

Unbelievable value when you consider

production music can cost that for 30 seconds

of usage and for only one production. So for

£32.95 you receive a CD or CD Rom packed

with tracks, some with stings and sound beds,

with each CD containing a staggering 40

minutes of music. It is little wonder producers

keep coming back to us to re-stock their sound

libraries.

Keeping the price low has been a priority

but without compromising on the quality,

so AKM music can now be heard on nearly

every TV channel in the UK. I would be the

first to admit that our initial aim was to satisfy

the demand in the corporate, SIV market

but am delighted that our products have

now been wholeheartedly embraced by the

television sector. As some of our composers

are PRS members they are entitled to a

payment from the broadcaster if the music

is used on television. This payment is not

the responsibility of the producer of the

programme, but the station that broadcasts

the music. So even when using royalty free

music in a production that is to be broadcast

on television you simply go right ahead and

use it as normal; even for TV there is no extra

fees to pay.

This new found status has attracted a fine

number of great composers who submit their

compositions in the hope that we can include

their work in our library. So when visiting AKM,

video producers are now guaranteed only the

best composers in the media industry.

The whole recording and production values

have been revolutionised at AKM as our 2

fully equipped studios allow us to use session

players to achieve our aim of only producing

good quality music that is not being cheaply

produced on a workstation in someone’s attic

bedroom.

We are just putting the finishing touches

to GLOBAL MIX, our 68th CD production,

and from the demand and interest shown, it

seems that producers are taking Royalty Free

Music very seriously. This demand will only be

sustained as long as the CDs produced are of

the highest quality and that is something we

are determined to maintain.

If you want to save hundreds on your budget

and still have a quality library of music at your

disposable, then maybe you should checkout

our previews at: www.akmmusic.co.uk


Anthony Kimber Mctiffen

Director of AKM Music.

AKM Music at Video Forum Show

Earls Court , London 2006.


After recently reviewing the new Cartoni

Focus tripod and evaluating the

Manfrotto 503/525 tripod and being

very disappointed with both, I was starting to

lose all hope of ever finding a budget tripod

that actually worked.

Personally I’m a huge fan of the Vinten Vision

range and the higher end Sachtler models; my

preferred tripod is my beloved Vinten Vision

8 two-stage carbon model. When it comes

to tripods I’m pretty fussy and I have very

high standards. For me there is no excuse

for a head that suffers from ‘drift-back’ or

makes funny noises when tilting, or any other

abnormal characteristics that make it unusable

for any serious applications. The same goes

for the legs; if

anything more

than a minuscule

amount of ‘wind-up’

is present it should

be thrown in the

nearest skip without

delay.

So my hunt to

find a sub £800

two-stage tripod

that is actually

worth the materials

it is made out of

was starting to

look pretty thin.

So, with Cartoni

and Manfrotto well

and truly out of the

picture as far as a usable tripod goes, it was

time for me to phone my next potential victim

in search of a budget tripod that I could, hand-

on-heart, recommend to people using modern

medium size/weight cameras such as the

Panasonic HVX200, Sony Z1, Canon XL H1

and JVC GY-HD111 etc.

I had heard that Japanese tripod manufacturer

Libec were about to replace their LS37 with

the all-new and improved LS38. The LS38

landed on UK shores late August 2006 so by

the time you read this is should be starting to

hit the shop floors of the usual dealers up and

down the country.

I spoke to UK importers Nick Allan-Miles

and David Archibold, who promptly got a

brand-spanking- new LS38 sent out to me. I

spoke to David about the new LS38 when we

met up at the Broadcast Live show earlier in

the year. He knew how I felt about the Cartoni

Focus tripod as he had read my review, so

he was somewhat nervous about sending me

one of his LS38 tripods to review, which was

understandable. He knows where I’m coming

from. Although we are friends, and have a

laugh in person and on the phone, he also

knows that I’m not a sycophantic reviewer.

First thing on Friday morning, the UPS

courier turned up with the Libec LS38, and I

must admit that I was somewhat nervous when

opening the box as I really wanted this tripod

to be a usable one that was up to my high

standards. I knew

that if I was happy

with this tripod,

then everybody

that I recommend

it to would be too.

Basically, if I can’t

find a fault with a

tripod, it doesn’t

exist. The box

felt reassuringly

heavy, but not so

heavy that it would

be uncomfortable

to lug around on location. After unpacking

the tripod and removing all the cardboard

packaging and plastic wrapping I was

presented with what felt like a solid piece of

engineering finished in a classy contemporary

gun-metal-greyish colour that reminded me of

my old BMW 7 series. Also in the box was a

neat black padded zip-up case.

THE LEGS & SPREADERThe first thing I did was extend the two-stage

legs to their maximum height and open out the

floor-spreader to its widest setting. The legs

are locked-off at any given height by 2/3rds of

a turn of the chunky tough plastic dials, and

when they are locked they are really locked.

The floor spreader is also adjustable via the

usual flat dials; again once locked-off there

is no chance of the spreader slipping from

its spread setting. I was also pleased to see

position markers engraved into the spreader,

which helps make sure you have each leg

spread by exactly the same distance.

With the tripod extended fully and locked off

I carried out my first usual test. Basically I

remove the head and grip the bowl tightly with

both hands and try and turn it as if trying to

turn a stationary lorry with no power steering.

What I’m looking for here is leg ‘wind-up’ and

rigidity. In the past I’ve done this with cheap

Chinese tripods and the legs have twisted so

easily it was as if they had power steering of

their own. With cheap tripods I can turn the

head about an inch in each direction, which

is simply useless. If this happens I usually

don’t even bother looking at the head, I’ll put


the tripod away and send it back. So how did

the Libec LS38 stand up to my stationary-

lorry-with-no-power-steering test I hear you

ask. Brilliant! hardly any leg wind-up at all.

Considering this tripod only costs £399 it

is hardly even worth mentioning. I’ve seen

tripods costing three times this much that had

unforgivable legs that twisted all to easily.

The LS38 legs get nine out of ten in the leg

department. I think I know why these legs

are so sturdy with virtually no twist factor

whatsoever. On closer inspection of the bowl

section, I’m inclined to think that these legs

were originally of the 100mm bowl family

of Libec legs, but have had a 75mm bowl

modification. This means that you are getting

100mm bowl stability, in a 75mm bowl tripod

kit. Although the legs come with a floor

spreader to allow for some really low-to-the-

ground filming, you can also buy an optional

mid-level spreader if (like me) you prefer to

work this way.

THE HEADThe head is finished to the same high

standards as the legs. It feels solid and chunky

and after playing roughly with it for 5 minutes I

got the impression that this head is not going

to fall apart any time soon. It is tough, durable

and should last an age, even in the hands

of the roughest film students, ENG guys,

and even a rattled independent low-budget

filmmaker on his last line of coke.

The head is a fairly basic no-frills design. In

fact the only levers on it are two to lock-off the

tilt and pan and another one to lock the sliding

plate into position along with a safety button

to prevent the plate sliding off whilst adjusting

it; that’s it. Although there are no adjustments

for pan and tilt drag, the factory setting for

the pan and tilt drag was spot-on; not too

stiff, but not too slack either, somewhere in

that middle stirring-a-large-bucket-of-treacle

area. From this last comment you’ve probably

gathered that this is a fluid head, and a nice

one at that. The fluid motion works beautifully

in both pan and tilt directions. Part of my

tripod test is to draw a figure of eight with the

pan-handle; pretend the pan- handle is a large

magic marker and draw the figure of eight

on an imaginary wall. With the LS38 head

this test stood up really well. I could draw my

figure of eight smoothly and precisely with

no dead-spots whatsoever. Of course, with

no camcorder mounted at this point, I could

feel that the sideways (pan) movements

were a little slacker than the up/down (tilt)

movements, but this is normal for a head with

no weight mounted on it, especially with this

head, as it has a pre-loaded spring in the head

to aid with balancing; so far very impressed

with this well-engineered head.

The next part of my test involved doing

some violently fast tilts from one extreme to

the other. I had to stand on the spreader for

this part to prevent the tripod lifting off the

ground as it is quite a vigorous test, and any

tripod in the world would lift off the ground in

this situation. What I’m looking for – or rather

listening and feeling for – are trapped air

bubbles in the head, or any other defects or

bad characteristics which show up by means

of sticky noises that sound like there is a

piece of sticky fly paper stuck inside the head

somewhere. With the LS38 head no such

gremlins showed up; great! These guys have

actually put some thought into this head and

road-tested it before going into production; well

done Libec.

The pan-handle is reversible, so you can

fix it to the left or right side of the head. This

is one of the best designs I’ve seen, and once

you give a quick twist of the locking lever, the

pan-handle is going nowhere. The pan-handle

is not a telescopic one, but it should be about

the right length for most applications and it is

solid and does not bend. I lock off the head

and grip the bowl with one hand and try and

break the pan-handle off with the other as I

try and forcefully pan the tripod head, even

though it is locked off. A naff pan- handle will

either bend or snap during this test; the Libec

pan-handle did neither, I could almost hear it

say “is that all you’ve got mate?”. So the pan-

handle test scores very highly indeed.

Next are the lock-off levers for pan and tilt.

The head goes from unlocked to locked-off

within about a 5mm turn of the lever. The

levers are chunky enough that they don’t hurt

your fingers and thumbs as you lever them

into or out off the locked-off position, and with

moderate pressure, the head is solidly locked-

off, well as locked-off as you would ever want

it to be anyway.

The sliding plate is brilliant and it replaces

the somewhat unusable quick-release plate

found on the LS38’s predecessor, the LS37.

This new sliding plate is just brilliant and it

works like a dream. Libec obviously listen to

customer feedback. The sliding plate has a lot

of adjustment and can be locked-off anywhere

within an 8 cm scale, which should be more

than enough to balance an unloaded (no

accessories) Canon XL H1 or JVC GY-HD111.

If you are a Sony Z1 or Panny HVX200 owner,

you won’t need anywhere near this amount

of adjustment, but it’s there if you have a fully

loaded Z1 with an additional accessories/

weight attached. The quick release plate has

a neat spring-loaded locating pin as well as

the usual fixing screw, the latter is screwed

into the base of the camcorder using a penny.

I was also pleased to see the “Made in Japan”

sticker when I removed the sliding plate;

Libec are maintaining standards here and

it is evident all over this tripod/head combo.

Finally, the head also has a spirit level bubble,

so you can level the head perfectly. It doesn’t

have a light to illuminate it, but I don’t film bats

in coalmines at midnight so I don’t care. This

REVIEW €€€


without it creeping back up a bit, but I would

never have the need to tilt down so far anyway

so this didn’t bother me. The same applies

for extreme tilts up, don’t expect to be able

to point it up at a hovering kestrel and have

it stay there without locking it off because it

won’t, it will creep back down a bit. However,

you will be able to tilt up about 30º above the

horizon and it will remain there perfectly. This

should be more than enough for most shooting

situations. Again, you are paying £399 for a

tripod that is really well built and engineered to

do 90% of the moves perfectly. If you need the

other 10% of moves that you will rarely (if ever)

use, then you’ll have to spend an extra £1,200

and look elsewhere. Having said that, there is

a workaround, it’s called your left hand. If you

need the camera to stay in position at the end

of an extremely high or low tilt, simply hold

the tilt-locking lever with your left hand whilst

carrying out the tilt with your right, then at the

end of the movement lock the tilt lever off,

voilà. As the tilt-locking lever requires only a

few millimetres of movement and hardly any

effort to lock the head off, I was able to carry

out an extremely high tilt and lock it off once

there with no noticeable movement at the end

of the tilt. So there it is, an extra £1,200, your

left hand, an extra £1,200, your left hand, erm,

let me think about that for a minute. How many

more times do I have to say it “THE LIBEC

LS38 IS ONLY £399!”

Now for the critical part of my test, and this

is where every sub-£800 tripod I’ve tested

has come falling down miserably. I call it the

drift-back test. I mount a camcorder on the

tripod, zoom right in as far as the lens allows

as I compose the image with a subject that

has straight vertical lines in it, such as the

edge of a building. Then I fix the camcorder in

is proof that Libec have spent the money in

areas that count and have not compromised

on quality by adding extras that people don’t

really need. This would have either upped

the price of the tripod, or compromised on

quality in other areas, so I’m glad Libec put

into this tripod what you need and left off what

you don’t. Okay so we might need a decent

balance system with amazing pan and tilt drag

controls, but this is a £399 tripod, if you want

perfect balance control and an amazing drag

system, buy a Vinten Vision 6 for £1,600.

I tested the head with my trusty JVC GY-

HD111 complete with Hawk-Woods V-Loc

battery pack and Chrosziel matte box system

and focus pulling rig. This set-up is about as

heavy as you could go and still retain at least

some balance with the LS38. The built in

pre-tensioned spring appears to be built for

cameras such as the Sony Z1 and Panasonic

HVX200 with a few add-on accessories. With

a standard JVC GY-HD111 camera with no

matte box, but retaining the Hawk-Woods

V-Loc battery battery, the LS38 did a great

job of balancing it. I could tilt up and down

approximately 30º and the head/camcorder

stayed fixed in that position after I removed

my hand from the pan-handle with no sign of

it creeping up or down. Admittedly, I could not

tilt the camcorder straight down to the floor

€€€ REVIEW

a nice horizontal position and lock it off. With

just the pan available to me I’ll gently pan

across the scene, then gently stop with the

vertical edge of the side of the building lined

up perfectly with the 16:9 safe area markers

on the either side of the flip-out LCD display on

the camcorder. When I remove my hand from

the pan-handle, I expect my alignment of brick

wall to safe area marker to say exactly there.

With many other tripods it simply won’t stay

put, instead it will drift back a few millimetres.

This might not sound like very much, but when

you are zoomed right into the side of a building

it can be as much as 2 brick widths (depending

on how far from the building you are), which

is plain noticeable and totally unacceptable. I

did not expect the LS38 to pass this test, not

for a second. So you can imagine my total

amazement when I took my hand off the pan

handle to find that the head stayed exactly

there with virtually zero drift-back. I think there

were a few people in China that couldn’t quite

hear me when I yelled “AT LAST, I’VE FOUND

IT, A BUDGET TRIPOD THAT DOESN’T

SUFFER FROM BLOODY DRIFT-BACK”. My

partner Louise came dashing down the stairs

to see what I was yelling about, she thought

I’d found the Holy Grail, I have I told her, well

a budget one anyway. A few of my peers in

Sliding plate safety catch.

Sliding plate position markers.

Fully-loaded JVC GY-HD111 complete with

Hawk-Woods battery pack, Chrosziel Matte

box and focus pulling rig. About as much

weight as the LS38 can take.

Head-leveling adjuster.

REVIEW €€€


the industry know that I’ve been looking for a

budget tripod that I can recommend to people

with limited funds. Well now I’ve found one so

if you are the proud owner of a medium size

camcorder such as: Panasonic HVX200, Sony

Z1, Canon XL H1, JVC GY-HD111 and similar

and you are on a budget for the tripod, look no

further than the Libec LS38; it just works!!

IN USEIn the 20 minutes or so that I spent filming

using the GY-HD111 camera I found the Libec

LS38 to be a dream to use. It’s quick and

easy to erect and pack away, not once did I

trap my fingers ;). Setting up the camera was

really easy as the sliding plate has a lot of

adjustment in it, even for the most front/back

heavy camcorders such as the Canon XL

range, which tend to be a bit front (lens) heavy.

The sliding plate makes it easy to balance your

camcorder over the dead center of the head,

which in turn allows the fixed balance spring

system of the head to work perfectly enough

within reason.

Unlike the old LS37, which was only a

single-stage leg design, the new LS38 is a

two-stage leg design, so getting down low to

the ground is easy, and you can get super-low,

like eye-level to a rabbit if you remove the floor

spreader altogether.

Build quality? Ah yes, I do like testing products

for build quality. I’ve been known to break the

lids off flat-bed scanners whilst testing them for

build quality before buying in PC World. I’ve

broken plastic bottle holders from inside fridge

doors in retail parks whilst shopping for a new

American style fridge. When helping the mrs

choose kitchen ware from department stores

I’ve played Uri Gella with forks and spoons

(with great success) and have snapped

handles off bone china cups. Okay you get the

point, I’m just a firm believer that if something

can be perfect, why shouldn’t it be? And if

something can be built to a high standard,

why shouldn’t it be? There is a lot of cheap

mass-produced crap filling retail park stores

these days, and I refuse to subscribe to all this

“sorry sir, it’s 3 weeks over it’s 1 year warranty

period” crap, only to have fuels burned and

the earth’s natural recourses sucked away

from her as factories churn out even more of

this plastic crap for next years mugs to come

along and buy. Okay calm down, calm down,

too much coffee

this evening,

just trying to

make a point,

and I hope

you’re getting

it. What I’m

trying to say is

the Libec LS38

passed all my

tests flawlessly.

I pulled it, I

tugged it, I

dropped it from

a great height,

I tried to bend

it, break it and

I even kicked

it over. I tried

to force the

locking levers

way past where

they were

supposed to go

in an attempt

to break the

mechanism, I

tried to pull the

rubber spreader retainers like my old Stretch

Armstrong as I attempted to snap them. I

slammed the legs open, I slammed the legs

closed in an attempt to get a bit of plastic to fly

off across the floor. This tripod simply would

not break. If I was an extreme cameraman or

had a shoot coming up in a war zone I would

have taken my violent and rigorous test to the

extremes by dowsing the thing in petrol and

throwing my Zippo at it, someday I’ll actually

do this with a piece of production equipment,

but for now I had punished the LS38 enough,

way beyond what any normal cameraman will

ever put it through.

WHAT ELSE ?On the underside of the bowl there is a metal

hook to allow you to hang a bag of bricks to

help stabilize the tripod for those times that

you are filming hurricanes in the US. I’ve

already mentioned the optional mid-level

spreader, which comes with 3 rubber feet to

cover the spikes that are left exposed after the

floor-spreader has been removed. Levelling

the bowl is smooth and effortless via the large

dial under the bowl. The large bowl section

makes reaching this very easy. The pan-

handle has an industrial-type hard rubber grip.

Oh, and the sliding plate has ruler-markers so

it’s easy to balance your camcorder from one

day to the next.

SUMMING UPFor £399 this tripod is simply amazing. Libec

have put the money in all the right places and

it just works. If you want a budget no-frills

tripod that defies its price tag, the LS38 is it.

It will give you years of trouble-free service, it

will stand up to the rigours of tough shooting

environments, and above all it will do your

camcorder and your shots proud with its silky

smooth head. Even if you have a budget of

£1,200 or so, I would make sure the LS38 is in

the equation and should be checked out; you’d

be a fool not to just because of the price tag.

Dave Archibold of Libec UK was kind enough

to have an LS38 sent out to me on loan to

review, but if he wants his tripod back he’s

going to have to drive down here and get it;

it’s that good! ;)

Libec UK – Tel: 01527 596955

or visit: www.libeceurope.com

Rating:

Leg-tie string.

LS38 floor-spreader is ideal for low-level shooting.

••• Feature



For more details on the Rode boom pole

visit: www.hhb.co.uk

For more details on the Boom-Buddy

visit: www.boom-buddy.com

There’s not an awful lot one can say in a

review about either or these products

so I’m going to sum them up in less

than 1000 words (954 to be exact). The first is

a microphone boom pole and the second is a

boom pole holder. With this in mind I decided

to write a double-whammy review that covers

them both. After all, they are both related, only

made by different companies. Both products

retail at a similar price of £59.95.

RODE MICROPHONE BOOM POLE:

First up is the new Rode microphone boom

pole. This is a standard 10 foot microphone

boom pole, but with a few little differences

that make it quite special when compared to

the competition i.e. Panamic and Gitzo. Firstly

the Rode only costs £59.95, which is really

cheap when compared to the £250 offerings

from Panamic and Gitzo. Sure, the Rode is

not made from carbon-fibre, instead it is made

from a lightweight alloy, which is fine in my

book as it is stronger and can be repaired if

dented or bent. Not that it will, as this Rode

boom pole is built like a piece off scaffolding

pole, but nowhere near as heavy you

understand. In fact it is only a fraction heavier

than the carbon-fibre offerings that cost much

more. But to be honest, any professional

sound recordist will tell you that even the

lightest boom pole feels like it weighs a ton

after you have been holding it over your head

for 5 minutes.

The boom pole is of the more fashionable and

easy to use telescopic type that folds down

to about a metre in length. It is extended and

locked-off by twisting the top section of each

part via large metal turnable sections with grips

on them. As I’ve already mentioned it extends

to 10 feet, which is more than enough for most

shooting/recording situations. It comes with

three 1-inch wide Velcro fasteners to fasten the

mic XLR cable to the pole, but there is another

option here, which is simply ingenious. The top

and bottom of the pole has been designed in

a way that allows you to thread your mic XLR

cable down the centre of the pole’s alloy tube.

The thick rubber cap on the bottom of the pole

can be removed to allow you to thread the

cable though, then you can replace it as there

is a small cut-out to one side for the cable to

come though. Same for the top, simply remove

the fitting whilst threading the cable through

then replace it. This way there is no unsightly

cable running down the outside of the pole.

What else, oh yes, it’s black in colour and it

has a nice long-lasting foam grip that takes

up the entire first section (about a metre long)

so you won’t get cold hands when working in

typical English weather conditions.

Well that’s about it for the Rode boom pole, not

a lot else I can say about it really. It’s well built,

light enough in weight, extends to 10 feet and

is easy to use and above all, it is really cheap;

well done Rode.

Finally, the Rode Miniboom is now shipping,

this is exactly the same construction as the

Rode boom, but it’s a three section design with

a maximum length of 1.9 metres and a RRP of

£45.00 plus vat. This new Miniboom is ideal if

you don’t need a long reach.

BOOM-BUDDY BOOM POLE HOLDER:

Next up is the ingenious invention from

Fleetwood Films, it’s the all-new Boom-

Buddy. So what is it? The Boom-Buddy is a

clever piece of engineering that allows you to

mount your microphone boom pole on top of

a standard lighting stand. This is great for the

one-man outfit who can’t afford to hire a sound

recordist, or who needs to put their mic boom

pole in a fixed position. The Boom-Buddy

simply fits to the top of any standard light

stand in the same way a Redhead light would.

Then you can place your boom pole into/onto

it, I say into/onto as it is the boom pole simply

rests on top of the front open part, while the

section of pole a few inches behind this goes

under the back part of the Boom-Buddy. The

weight of the front part of the boom pole forces

the back section upward, which in turn makes

the pole stay there as if by magic. Mounting

your boom pole onto the Boom-Buddy is as

easy as ABC and takes all of 3 seconds. This

is down to the clever design; in my opinion it

deserves an award.

The bag the

Boom-Buddy

comes in

doubles as

a counter-

weight.

Simply put a

large spare

battery in the

bag, then

slide it onto

the end of the boom-pole (opposite end to mic

of course) and Velcro it up to hold it in place. If

you have a light clamp such as the Manfrotto

verity, you can attach the Boom-Buddy to it

and suspend it upside down from the branch

of a tree for example. This way you won’t have

a stand in shot, and you can possibly get your

microphone in closer to your subject.

The Boom-Buddy has been designed to help

make a sound recordist’s job easier and to aid

the one-man operation. The Boom-Buddy will

act as an extra pair of hands in this situation.

What else can I say, it’s a tough piece of

engineering made from metal, rubber and

polycarbonate plastic that should last an

age. It’s a great design (I wish I’d thought of

it) and it is priced fairly at £59.95. Way to go

Fleetwood Films!

€€€ REVIEW


Title: How to Setup, Light & Shoot Great

Looking Interviews

Presenter/Demonstrator: Doug Jensen

Price: £24.00 ($40.00)

Web site: www.vortexmedia.com

Every now and then, another training

DVD based on camcorder shooting

techniques or lighting techniques

will appear, and the first question we ask

ourselves is “will it be any good and what will

the production quality be like?” Well I’m here

to tell you about this latest training DVD from

across the pond.

It’s entitled “How to Setup, Light, & Shoot

Great Looking Interviews”. Although this DVD

was filmed and produced in the USA, don’t let

that put you off. Playing this DVD on UK PAL

DVD players and television sets simply looks

fantastic.

The DVD was written and produced by

Doug Jensen, who is a professional freelance

cameraman and DoP. Doug has been lighting

and shooting documentary and film-style ENG

productions for over 20 years for clients such

as: NBC News, ABC News, CBS News, Fox

News, CNN, BBC, TNT, Discovery, Sci-Fi,

History Channel, Animal Planet and many

more, so what he doesn’t know about lighting

people in interview situations isn’t worth

knowing.

Right, so we have somebody who is at the

top of their game presenting the programme

and carrying out the demonstrations, but

what about the actual content? If you want to

learn more about lighting people in interview

situations, you simply won’t find a better

training DVD on the face of the planet. Lets

face it, most lighting involving people usually

means lighting them ‘head and shoulders’

style, along with other possible establishing

shots.

Doug demonstrates all the tips, tricks and

techniques for lighting people in interview

situations perfectly. The DVD encapsulates

everything you need to know about interview

lighting in 60 minutes very nicely; he leaves

nothing out. Doug talks about the equipment,

which does not include fancy expensive gear,

just bog-standard kit that is readily available.

He also covers locations and how to choose

them, choosing the best angle once there,

the back light, the key light, the fill light and

the background light and how they should all

be placed for the optimum results.

The all-important topic of depth of

field and exposure is also covered

in great detail. Many people forget

the importance of depth of field,

which is critical if you are to achieve

decent shots; Doug explains this

fantastically. White balance is

covered, but Doug explains about

the use of Warm Cards, after seeing

this demonstration I’ll never use a

white balance card again with digital

camcorder formats; this simply has

to be seen to be believed. White

balance cards were really designed

for old-fashioned tube-based TV

cameras from yesteryear. Today’s digital

formats ALWAYS give people a cold bluish

look if you use a white card for balancing,

this makes them look like they have just got

out of the freezing cold sea after a swim in

December. By using one of the three warm

cards this horrible cold look vanishes and the

skin tones take on a more natural colour and

because of this, the resolution appears to be

more ‘high def’. I can’t explain it, but it just

looks sharper, you can see the pores in the

skin and the colour saturation is amazing; the

warm card part alone is worth the price of the

DVD.

Doug also covers the use of filters and

discusses and demonstrates the effects

of using the lens at different focal lengths,

windows, practicals, eye glasses, kicker

lights, make-up, and of course composition,

which in my view is by far one of the most

important aspects of any production. Doug

covers composition very well, explaining and

demonstrating the rule of thirds, head room,

looking room and much more.

For those who are interested in the ‘behind

the scenes’ stuff, the DVD was filmed on a

combination of Sony XDCAM HD, Z1 and

Betacam camcorders. The production value of

this DVD is of the highest order; brilliantly shot.

The DVD cost just $40, which (with current

exchange rate) is a mere £23 in UK money.

This is a ridiculously low amount to pay for

what you get. You would pay £350 for a two-

day training course covering everything Doug

covers in this DVD, and the DVD doesn’t have

any interruptions from the one person who

seems to ask tons of questions and demand

the instructor’s time on 2-day training courses

either.

I can’t say enough good things about this

DVD, I only wish I’d written and produced it

myself. I picked up plenty of tips from it and I’ll

never light an interview the same way again.

I guarantee that after watching this DVD

your productions will take on a much more

professional look.

My copy turned up here in the UK just 3

days after I emailed Doug for a review sample

for DVuser, so postage from the USA is pretty

fast these days. Oh, and Doug, if you think I’m

sending this little gem back, forget it ;)

I’ve been lighting interviews and small

scenes for many years now, but I picked up

some great gems off this DVD that I will never

forget. It’s certainly changed the way I’ll light

people from now on.

What else can I say, 5 out of 5 stars;

brilliant, amazing, fantastic, quite simply the

best training DVD I’ve seen in years.

To order online visit: www.vortexmedia.com

Buy your copy today, no really, drop this

magazine and get online and order one now!

Are you still here? go on order it now! why are

you still reading this? the review is over, go get

online and order the DVD now!…

Rating:


REVIEW €€€

For many years professionals and

amateurs alike would buy a tripod

budgeted at approximately 20% of

the value of their camera e.g. if the camera

was a Sony Digibeta costing £22,500, they

would pay around £4,500 for a tripod. If the

camera was a Sony PD170 costing £2,700,

they would pay around £450 for a tripod.

Don ‘t ask me who invented this rough

camera-to-tripod price ratio or why people

follow it – they just do.

But, it’s now time to change this ratio rule,

why? Because today’s semi-professional

cams such as the Sony Z1, Canon XL H1,

JVC GY-HD111E and Panasonic HVX200 all

produce amazing images that are snapping

at the heels of many high-end professional

broadcast cameras costing five times as

much. It’s for this reason that you should

spend more money on a professional tripod.

It would appear that after buying a semi-

professional camcorder costing around

£4,000, most people would go out and buy

a tripod priced around £400, such as a

Manfrotto 503/525P kit. Now, don’t get me

wrong, the 503 Manfrotto is a fine budget

tripod, in fact it is probably as good as

you can get for the money. But this tripod

(and many others like it) has some serious

limitations that a professional simply could

not live with. These include fluid drift-back,

leg wind-up, dead-spots within the head and

other mechanical limitations.

There are certain shooting situations that

could suffer with an inferior tripod, such as

shooting in 720P/25P mode on the Sony

V1, JVC GY-HD111E or Panasonic HVX200

cameras as the risk of ‘flicker/judder’ in

progressive 25p mode would be too great.

Another example is when shooting wildlife

videography with a Canon XL H1 or JVC

GY-HD111E with a telephoto lens attached,

the camera-wobble on a cheap tripod head

would be outrageous, producing totally

unprofessional results. These are just a few

examples of why it’s essential to use nothing

less than a professional quality tripod.

The cameras I’ve mentioned so far

all range from approximately £3,295 to

£6,000 and they all produce quality that

is dangerously close to some high-end

broadcast cameras costing much more,

and they certainly produce superior images

over cameras that cost £18,000 15 years

ago such as Betacam SP. So why skimp on

price with a budget tripod and potentially

ruin great shots, or in the case of wildlife

videography, once-in-a-lifetime shots? You

need your tripod to perform perfectly for

many years without a hitch, this means

smooth fluid movements on a sturdy set of


legs with no gremlins in the tripod design.

The only way tripod manufacturers can

eliminate such gremlins is to plough more

money into the design, materials and

production costs, which in turn means it will

cost you quite a bit more money.

I recently tested a Manfrotto 503/525P

tripod, which cost around £365. As I’ve

mentioned already, this is a great low-

budget tripod, but it could not be used for

any serious professional work. In fact, I

would go as far as to say that it is only really

usable in the ‘locked-off’ position; don’t even

attempt a pan as you will almost certainly

see the dreaded drift-back effect at the end

of the pan movement. This could be due to

inferior quality fluid or the built-to-a-budget

internal mechanics of the head perhaps?

I’m not picking on Manfrotto tripods either, I

recently reviewed the Cartoni Focus tripod,

which costs £899 and it also suffers the

same gremlins as the Manfrotto, so do many

other budget tripods. It’s simply a case of

you get what you pay for.

So which tripod should you buy to get the

full quality potential out of these great new

generation of HD and HDV camcorders?

I personally use the Vinten Vision range

of tripods, they are just amazing and they

don’t suffer from drift-back, snap-back,

or leg wind-up, not to mention creaky

noises or any of these other gremlins that

professionals can’t live with. The same can

be said for the Sachtler range of tripods

from the DV6SB and DV8SB upwards, but

these professional tripods do cost more.

This is where yesteryear’s 20% camera-to-

tripod price ratio gets thrown into room 101.

These days that ratio should be closer to

50% i.e. £3000 on a camcorder and £1500

on a tripod; really!

There are many brands on the market

today, but in my opinion the leading two are

Vinten and Sachtler. In fact Vinten, Sachtler

and Manfrotto are all owned by the same

company, but this does not mean for one

second that a cheap Manfrotto 525/503 is

going to be just as good as a Vinten Vision

3, 6, 8 or a Sachtler DV6SB or DV8SB;

they are made in different parts of the world

including the UK for some Vinten models,

Germany for certain Sachtler models and

Italy and the far east for the Manfrotto

range. So you can see that they are not the

same thing at all. Vinten simply re-badge

low-end Manfrotto models for their Protouch

series as it makes echonomic sense for

Vinten to do this. After all, Vinten make

professional tripods and have no interest

in manufacturing budget models. For the

record, the Vinten Pro-6 and Pro-10 are

packaged with a genuine set of Vinten tripod

legs, but with a re-badged Manfrotto head.

So what is the ultimate tripod for these new

mid-size HD and HDV camcorders?

In my opinion the Vinten Vision 3 and

Vision 6 models and the Sachtler DV6SB

and DV8SB models are the ultimate

professional tripods for these new smaller

semi-professional mid-sized camcorders.

The Vinten Vision 3 and 6 models come with

either alloy or carbon legs, single-stage or

2-stage and are priced between £950 for an

alloy single stage model and £1,390 for a

2-stage carbon model. The Sachtler DV6SB

system including head, legs, spreader

and case costs around £1,395, while the

Sachtler DV8SB system costs around

£2,350. This might sound expensive when

compared to a bog-standard budget £365

tripod, but if it is any consolation, high end

professional tripods designed for full size

XDCAM HD and HDCAM type cameras

start at around £3,500 and go up to around

£6,000, and if you want a professional TV

studio pedestal, don’t expect much change

out of £30,000. So you see, £1,395 is not so

much after all, besides, the four models I’ve

mentioned here should last you a lifetime.

Vinten or Sachtler tripods are equally as

good as each other and both are incredibly

well respected in the broadcast industry. Of

course there are other tripod makers out

there, but Vinten and Sachtler are the two

professional systems that I’m most familiar

with. I’ve yet to get my hands on the Libec

and Miller range. I’ve owned and used

Vinten Vision series tripods for many years

now and they have been thrown in and out

of cars and vans, dropped, knocked over,

stood in 2 foot of muddy water. They have

been in hot and humid tropical butterfly

houses, freezing cold walk-in industrial

freezer units, dusty and gritty building

sites and 3 foot away from red-hot blazing

fires. For years they have taken all sorts of

abuse, yet I have never had to return one to

Vinten in Bury St Edmunds to be serviced or

repaired; you get what you pay for.

These professional tripods use superior

quality components, even the fluid they

use inside the head, which is not affected

by temperature and all the air-bubbles

are vacuumed out so you won’t find any

dead-spots during a pan. The drag controls

are sheer perfection and Vinten’s Perfect

Balance is just that, it works perfectly; also

the leg locking mechanisms don’t trap your

fingers…

I believe that every cameraman should

strive to own the best equipment possible;

with Vinten & Sachtler, that’s what you get.

••• Tutorial


What is the Hawk-Woods VL-CF3?

The VL-CF3 was designed by UK

professional battery and charger

manufacturer Hawk-Woods. It has been

designed specifically for the JVC GY-HD100

and HD101 ProHD model camcorders.

The VL-CF3 camera adaptor allows GY-

HD100 owners to power their camera via a

single V-Lok battery. With a HawkWoods VL-

65 Li-Ion battery fitted, the camera will run for

in excess of 3.5 hours. See further down this

review for other larger Hawk-Woods batteries

and running time chart.

The established JVC GY-HD100 series ProHD camcorders:There is no denying that the JVC GY-HD100

series ProHD camcorders are well and truly

established and have become a firm favorite

with the independent filmmakers because

of its 720p/25p progressive HD1 recording

capabilities and interchangeable lens system.

Since JVC launched the GY-HD100E and

GY-HD101E series ProHD progressive scan

camcorders, many independent manufacturers

have pounced on the opportunity to make

after-market add-ons and accessories for

them; some more useful than others.

One of the most popular independent

after-market accessories is the Sony type V-

mount battery adaptor. These battery adaptors

allow the use of full size professional Sony

type V-mount batteries to be used on these

JVC camcorders. Many manufacturers have

realized the potential for such an adaptor,

and why not, after all, the small JVC battery

that comes with the camera only gives you a

record time of around 30 minutes on a good

day. So far, several manufacturers have build

these after-market V-mount battery adaptors

for the GY-HD100, but now UK battery

manufacturer Hawk-Woods have built one too,

and after taking delivery of one recently I can

only say “talk about save the best until last”.

Hawk-Woods researched the market to find

out exactly what was required and boy did they

get it right.

About Hawk-Woods:For those who are not familiar with the Hawk-

Woods company, they have been designing

and manufacturing battery and charger

systems for the tv, film and video industry right

here in the UK since the very early nineties.

Hawk-Woods was founded in 1991 by Brian

Woodford and Clive Hawkins; both of whom

have been in the industry for many years

before forming the Hawk-Woods company. In

fact Clive was responsible for designing the

PAG Lok system and this fact is recorded on

the Patent belonging to PAG.

The quality of Hawk-Woods batteries is

quite simply as good as you can get. They use

only the very best Canadian Li-Ion E-1 cells

made by Moli. Moli are the Rolls Royce of

Lithium cells; the best in the world. For their

belts, boxes and NP1 NiCads Hawk-Woods

use the best Japanese cells available, which

are manufactured by Sanyo Japan. These high

end cells ensure durability, very long running

times and above all, many recharges allowing

the batteries to be reused hundreds of times

for many years. Even after which, Hawk-

Woods in Ashford, Kent will be only too happy

to replace old cells with brand new ones. So

no need to buy new batteries.

Hawk-Woods are the main supplier of batteries

and chargers to Panavision UK and have been

for more than 10 years. Panavision UK rely

on Hawk-Woods for their durability, quality

and performance for use on their professional

35mm film cameras. So if you have seen

any James Bond or Harry Potter movie, or

Gladiator, Waterworld, Ultimate Force, or the

new Dr Who series, Hawk-Woods would have

been the power behind them all.

Since 1993 Hawk-Woods have been, and

continue to be, the industry standard for

supplying battery systems to professional

sound recordists, which allows them to power

mixers, mics and recorders all from one

source. On top of this, Hawk-Woods sell loads

of their industry standard V-Lok batteries to the

BBC and most of the big UK hire companies.

Apart from making the best batteries in

the world, Hawk-Woods also manufacturer

Chargers, Sound powering adaptors, cables

and leads as well as radio mic holders. And

of course, more recently the VL-CF3 JVC GY-

HD100 V-Lok battery adaptor.

The VL-CF3 design:Hawk-Woods have learned from the various

other manufacturers V-mount battery adaptors

for the JVC, and have also consulted with the

BBC and working professional cameramen.

This has allowed Hawk-Woods to come up

with what I would say is by far the best V-

mount battery adaptor available for the JVC

GY-HD100 series camcorders to date. What

makes the Hawk-Woods VL-CF3 beat the

competition hands down? First of all, Hawk-

Woods have a reputation in the industry for

making superior quality professional batteries

for semi-professional and professional

cameras from the Sony Z1 right up to

Panavision 35mm film cameras. Secondly

the Hawk-Woods model bolts not only to the

top back-end of the GY-HD100, but also at

the bottom underneath the shoulder pad.

To secure the VL-CF3 adaptor to the JVC is

it simply a case of removing the adjustable

shoulder pad, bolting the VL-CF3 to the

camera, then replacing the shoulder pad.

Finally you also fix it to the top of the camera

via the two screw mounts. By fixing the battery

adaptor to both the top and bottom of the JVC

allows for a much sturdier and more secure

fitting that will withstand knocks a whole lot

better. What is also so fantastic about this is

that you can still adjust the adjustable shoulder

pad back and forth.

VL-CF3 kit

JVC’s established GY-HD100 series


The VL-CF3

also has a

side plate to

hold a Focus

Firestore

hard drive

or radio mic

reciever.

This is

where Hawk-

Woods

consulted

the BBC, who have had complaints from their

freelance cameramen using other brackets

where the Firestore mounts directly on the

back. They say that if a cameraman backs up

against a wall in a tight shooting space the

Firestore bashes against the wall and can

crack or get damaged. Hawk-Woods instead

have taken the BBC’s advice and have allowed

for fitting by way of two secure bolts of a metal

plate for the Firestore to go to the side of the

battery on the outside, so it is not digging

against your ear when it is shoulder mounted.

The VL-CF3 also has an industry standard

D-Tap power socket so you can power an on-

camera light, radio mics, video send or other

piece of equipment up to 35 Watts straight

from the Hawk-Woods V-Lok battery via the

VL-CF3. However, unlike a built in power

D-Tap on high end broadcast cameras, the

Hawk-Woods D-Tap on the VL-CF3 is not

regulated at 12 volts, it is in fact 16.3 volts, but

this makes little difference for on-camera lights

and radio mics and the like.

Anyone who owns a JVC GY-HD100E or 101E

will know that when you fit a little JVC battery

into the slot at the back, it is not the most snug

fit in the world; the small JVC batteries can

rattle around a tad whilst attached to the back.

Because of this slight movement Hawk-Woods

have designed the VL-CF3 in a way that

ensures no linkage on the camcorder will ever

be damaged. No additional cabling is required

as the adaptor connects directly via the

camera’s own battery bay similar to JVC’s own

7.2V battery. The VL-CF3 has a short patch

lead of about 2 inches in length that goes

from the plate itself to a small mock-up mini

battery that actually plugs into the back of your

JVC. This short lead allows for very minute

movements of the small mock-up battery that

actually plugs into the JVC. I found that the

Hawk-Woods battery block was a better fit

than an actual JVC battery.

If you already own V-mount type batteries,

either Hawk-Woods or other brands as part of

your larger shoulder mounted Sony equipment

then you only need to buy the VL-CF3 adaptor,

which alone cost just £135 plus vat. However,

if the JVC GY-HD100 is your only camera then

you can buy a complete package made up

by Hawk-Woods. This package consits of 2 x

Li-Ion VL-65 V-Lok batteries, 1 x VL-L1 V-Lok

quick charger and of course the VL-CF3 V-Lok

JVC adaptor. The total price for this package

cost £525 plus vat.

How to fit the VL-CF3 to your JVC GY-HD100:Fitting the VL-CF3 is a breeze; the whole

operation takes about 5 minutes. Before

starting I would recommend removing the

viewfinder and microphone to prevent them

getting knocked or damaged whilst the camera

is upside-down. I would also recommend

placing a large pillow on the table and putting

your camera in an upside-down position onto

it. Then you are ready to begin.

Step 1:Loosen the 3 shoulder pad retaining screws

(fig.1) (don’t remove the screws, just unscrew

them about 3 complete turns, just enough for

you to remove shoulder pad), then press the

shoulder pad position lever on the side and

slide the shoulder pad all the way back until it

slides completely off the camcorder.

Step 2:Remove the 3 chrome screws from the silver

shoulder pad slide adjust plate (fig.2), then

remove the silver slide plate from the camera.

Step 3:Position the small black metal Spacer (fig.3)

that comes with the Hawk-Woods VL-CF3

kit, at the front end of the camcorder. Then

position the main Hawk-Woods Lower Bracket

towards the rear end of the camcorder (fig.3).

Step 4:Next you will have to replace the silver slide

plate that you removed in step 3, only you will

not use the original screws, you will now need

to use slightly longer screws due to the extra

2mm thickness of the Hawk-Woods Spacer

and Lower Bracket (fig.4). Position the JVC

silver shoulder pad slide back into its original

position, only over the top of the Hawk-Woods

Spacer and Lower Bracket (fig.4); the silver

shoulder pad slide will now clamp the Hawk-

Woods Spacer and Lower Bracket into place.

Use the 3 slightly longer screws that Hawk-

Woods provided (fig.4).

Step 5:Replace the JVC shoulder pad by sliding it

on from the back first. You will notice that the

shoulder pad will feel stiff as you slide it on

(especially if your camera is relatively new with

an unworn shoulder pad), don’t worry about

REVIEW / TUTORIAL €€€

D-Tap power socket

fig.1

fig.2

fig.3

fig.4


this, get a good grip and push it back on. Don’t

forget to hold in the shoulder pad position

lever when you do this. Then tighten up the 3

shoulder pad retaining screws (fig.5).

Step 6:Carefully seat the Hawk-Woods Dummy

Battery into the camcorder’s battery bay (fig.6)

in the same way you would with the small JVC

battery that came with the camcorder (this

small JVC battery will now be redundant and

sent to its permanent home in the box that it

came in).

Step 7:Make sure the short lead is not twisted around,

then secure this main V-lok adaptor to the

bottom bracket (fig.7). I found it a lot easier

securing it to the bottom bracket first using the

V-lok’s two built in screws. If you secure the

two top screws first you have to push really

hard and struggle to get the bottom screws in.

Be sure to secure it via the bottom plate first.

Step 8: Finally, remove the two screws and small

plastic protector located on top of the

camcorder just in front of the battery release

slide switch (fig.8). Keep the plastic protector

and 2 JVC screws in a small sealed plastic

bag and put them with the small JVC battery

back into the box that your camcorder came

with. You might need them in future. Next,

secure the V-lok adaptor to the top part of the

camera using the two remaining screws that

were supplied with the Hawk-Woods VL-CF3

kit (fig.9). You will need to use the Hawk-

Woods screws for the same reasons as in step

4 as they are slightly longer to compensate for

the extra thickness of the V-Lok adaptor plate.

Tip:You are now ready to use Hawk-Woods VL

series Li-Ion batteries. You might notice the

first time you use Hawk-Woods batteries

that the Voltage display number on the GY-

HD100’s fold out LDC screen has changed

from the usual 7.2V to 8V. This is nothing to

be alarmed about and is perfectly normal and

is well within the camcorder’s capabilities.

If anything, the small JVC battery that your

camcorder came with is slightly under-

powered. The Hawk-Woods V-Lok adaptor has

very accurate regulated circuitry ensuring a

stable 8 Volts of power to the camcorder.

Hawk-Woods Battery Running Times:

I would recommend sticking with Hawk-Woods

VL series batteries, as opposed to other

braded V-Lok batteries, simply because (as

explained in the review part of this article)

Hawk-Woods are quite simply one of the best

battery makers in the world. They use only the

very best Canadian Li-Ion E-1 cells made by

Moli and they give the best running times.

Mounted to the GY-HD100 ProHD series

camcorders the running times are as stated

below. Remember that the standby battery

running time on the GY-HD100 (and most

other camcorders) is only very marginally less

than the actual record running time. This is

simply because in the standby mode all that

happens is the heads move off the tape, but

continue to spin hence the voltage required

for standby mode is virtually the same as the

voltage required for actual recording.

Battery running times;Hawk-Woods VL-65 Li-Ion = 3.3 hours.

Hawk-Woods VL-70 Li-Ion = 3.5 hours.

Hawk-Woods VL-100 Li-Ion = 5 hours.

Hawk-Woods VL-130 Li-Ion = 6.5 hours.

Hawk-Woods VL-160 = 8 hours.

A package kit including batteries and charger

and V-Lok mount is currently available from

Hawk-Woods consisting of the following:

VL-65 Li-Ion Batteries x 2.

VL-L1 V-Lok 1-Ch Quick Charger.

VL-CF3 JVC GY-HD100 Camera Adaptor.

Prices are as follows (plus vat):

VL-CF3 JVC GY-HD100/V-Lok adaptor: £135.

VL-KT1 Kit consisting of: 2 x VL-65 V-Lok

Li-Ion batteries, 1 x VL-L1 V-Lok quick charger

and 1x VL-CF3 adaptor: £525.

For more information visit the Hawk-Woods

web site at www.hawkwoods.com, or contact

Brian on 01233 638715 or

email [email protected].

Rating:

€€€ REVIEW / TUTORIAL

Finished and fully assembled.

fig.5

fig.6

fig.7

fig.8

fig.9


Professional cameraman Franz Pagot recently

shot a corporate video for Mercedes Benz for

their agricultural off road vehicles. Franz shot

the corporate with a JVC GY-HD100. Here he

explains why he chose to shoot the corporate

with the GY-HD100, what he liked about the

camera and what punishment it took along the

way. The corporate video had to be shot in

some really hostile environments in Europe to

demonstrate the great off road capabilities of

these amazing Mercedes vehicles. Conditions

included freezing blizzards with snow 4 foot

deep, sleet, pelting rain, dust and wind. At the

other end of the scale Franz and his camera

had to tolerate blisteringly hot and humid

sunny days at sweat-dripping temperatures.

I remember the very first time I picked up

a camera, it was an old Mitchell 35mm

film job and it weighed a ton. I was really

surprised, as it didn’t look very heavy. When I

first picked up the JVC GY-HD100 I was again

surprised, but this time at how light it was. A

lightweight camera is not necessarily a good

thing, as operating a lighter camera can make

camera moves less fluid, which can cause

problems that you wouldn’t get with a heavier

camera. However, my back appreciates the

lesser weight. Another thing that impressed me

about the JVC is that it looks the part.

Most prosumer DV and HDV cameras feel

like toys and behave like toys. The viewfinder

is often not sharp enough, or in the wrong

place; the controls are too exposed to the

elements and it’s all to easy to knock buttons

accidentally when you don’t mean to, and the

ergonomics are usually a design joke. But

not the JVC, it looks and feels like a smaller

version of a Digibeta or HDCAM, and is

designed with the professional cameraperson

in mind i.e. all the buttons and switches are

in the right places, just where you’d expect to

find them.

When I picked the camera up from the rental

house they asked me if I had a car with a big

enough boot for the case and accessories. I

pointed outside to the production vehicle, a

massive Mercedes off road job. I loaded the

camera gear, climbed onboard and set off just

as a big storm was coming in.

So what was I going to shoot? exactly

that; the storm. More precisely, what the

Mercedes off road vehicle can do in extreme

environments under impossible conditions.

At the initial production meeting we went

through several possible cameras to shoot this

corporate on. The director is used to working

fast, really fast. He knows what he wants and

he usually wants it in a flash. Initially the Sony

Z1 was considered as it’s a brilliant camera

that I have used on many occasions with great

success, but I also pointed out that considering

we were going to be working mainly at he long

end of the lens, we should use something with

a proper lens that is easy to focus manually

for my assistant, and I needed a camera that

could be operated easily when shoulder-

mounted as well as holding it by the handle.

The JVC GY-HD100 is fully adjustable on the

shoulder; you can slide the shoulder pad back

and forth according to your physique, and it’s

fairly well balanced, while the equivalent Sony

(Z1) and Canon (XL H1) models are quite front

heavy; especially the Canon.

Big deal you might say, add some extra

bits, do this, adjust the other and balance

it out. This is not always practical. If you’re

working in a freezing blizzard or in extremely

hot midday sun, the last thing you’ll want to

do is to fine tune bits and pieces with frozen

hands or worry about sand getting inside lens

attachments and onto the glass, not to mention

having to constantly replace gaffer tape as it

falls off due to the heat/cold. You just want to

grab the camera, secure your harness, jump

out and shoot. And being able to find the

record button easily is always a plus.

Did I say that there was going to be a lot of

hanging around on this shoot? As in strapped

to a harness while the stunt guy drives at

speed through hellish roads that were not built

for anything to actually drive on. Helicopter,

motorbike, trike and a microlite were also part

of the tracking vehicles car park. Fun? maybe

the first few seconds, then you start wondering

when the next branch is going to whack you

on the helmet, or when the next stone is going

to flick up off the road and hit your hand. Not

to mention the harness twisting your private

parts, already absorbing all the bumps that the

huge shock absorbers can barely cope with.

Fun? think again.

The next question was how we were going to

protect the camera, especially from the rain

spraying off the road, dust, water and whatever

else the weather was going to throw at us, not

to mention cold slush and snot spraying up off

the massive Mercedes wheels, which in turn

passed on to me with an evil spin; the answer?

cling film! nothing beats it. I considered a

special housing, but my tests proved that the

good old transparent stretchy plastic does the

job just fine, and by using some clever padding

in the right places it’s quick to use and leaves

Franz hanging off Mercedes industrial vehicle with GY-HD100

GY-HD100 wrappedin cling-film



all functions easily accessible.

To keep water and debris off the lens I

simply fitted a clear filter to the front. As for

power, I didn’t bother with the small standard

battery that the camera comes with as the

run times are just too little, instead I used a

professional V-Loc version with an adaptor,

which was essential as the cold environment

meant battery times were reduced; big time.

To say that I put this camera though hell

is really an understatement. At one point I

was operating the camera from a helicopter

by actually hanging outside with a harness.

According to my clever watch, with built in air

temperature readout, the temperature was

as low as -25º C. Although my goggles would

freeze over, I could still achieve accurate

focus thanks to the clever focus assist mode,

a godsend of a button that turns the image

to black and white giving you the contours

in bright blue to indicate that the image is

in perfect focus (red and green can also be

selected via the menus). I found this feature to

be invaluable, especially when I was struggling

to see the camera, let alone the image.

The 0.44” viewfinder delivers a very decent

image and the adjustment knobs on it are real

helpers, giving you focus assist, brightness,

peaking and monitor adjustment. I have to

admit that at one point my assistant pulled

focus for me, braving the elements, because

viewing the extra 9” monitor inside the

helicopter he noticed I was not performing as

well as the camera. My excuse was that my

body is 42 years old, the camera a mere few

months. In the scorching desert the bright

sun meant the camera’s fold-out LCD panel

was totally useless, so I always worked using

the viewfinder with an absorbent pad on the

eyecup, my sweat was literally raining on it. If

you have the means it’s always better to work

with an extra big field monitor, especially if

using the lens on telephoto and shooting in

challenging light situations. The 3.5” LCD on

board monitor is good, but not that good, this

is just the nature of LCD screens, they don’t

mix with bright sunlight very well.

I tend to use the zoom manually as the

servo is too slow and doesn’t respond quickly

enough. Shooting action you must be able to

adjust the speed of the zoom to the movement

of your subject, never the same twice, never

constant throughout; this is just my preferred

working method. The zoom is a very decent

Fujinon 16x that produces stunning results,

but I’d also recommend getting the additional

wide-angle lens if you intend shooting

landscapes etc, well worth having.

So what settings did I use on this corporate

job? The camera allows you to have some

presets, three in total, having colour-bars as

a preset is useful; change tape, hit the preset

and it’s done. Having two different temperature

presets is also useful, to cool down an

incoming sunset or warm up an early sunrise.

The camera is really well built, especially

considering the price. I did not come across

anything flimsy and my GY-HD100 did take

some beating without fuss, and it certainly took

the abuse from the elements better than I did.

It’s cleverly designed and has obviously

been put together with feedback from

professional cameramen.

All its controls are in the

same places as its bigger

and more expensive

relatives, it really feels

and handles like a scaled

down Digibeta.

I was impressed by the

cameras 16:9 resolution

3-CCD 1280x720 high-def

chips. Overall I was very

happy with the final results

from this camera. The

lens performs really well,

delivering a very good

digital picture to the CCD.

The JVC performed really

well and never missed a

beat. We saw the final cut

projected on a mammoth

plasma screen and it

looked really good. We shot bright orange

vehicles in bright sunny lit snow and we could

clearly see the wind shaped patterns on the

white blanket of snow. We recorded fast action

moving vehicles spraying water at 70mph on a

motorway at night and we could still appreciate

the finest detail. The sunset over the Jordanian

desert came out with all the palette you could

wish for on the screen.

I shot the entire project in 720p mode, which

resulted in a really nice filmic look, especially

because there was so much movement. I also

used quite a lot of filters, especially NDs, to

keep a shallow depth of field to add to that

overall film look.

I set the JVC up as follows: master black on

normal, keeping the black stretch off, detail

was set at –3, the level of the gamma was

at –1, and all other settings were at default.

Franz filming from helicopter


€€€ FEATURE STORY

Tutorial •••

Established in 1860, B. Hague &

Co. Ltd. are precision engineers,

manufacturing and supplying a variety

of products to the trade and direct to the end

user. Although trading under the name of

Hague, the company is owned and run by

two brothers, John and Robert Scotton, who

are the fourth generation of Scottons to be

involved in the company. Over the years B.

Hague & Company has had to adapt to the

changing trading conditions, so from the early

days of making parts for hosiery machines,

Hague now make industrial and home linking

machines, yarn winders, plus many other

aids for the machine knitter. However, as the

knitting industry has continued to decline

they have diversified into the manufacture of

camera grip equipment.

It was in 1994 that Hague first started

manufacturing camera grip equipment. Robert

Scotton had been a keen amateur moviemaker

for quite a few years and was keen to get

more professional shots into his movies. After

looking at jibs and tracking dollies he realised

that these were all priced way beyond the

reach of most amateur movie makers, so

he decided to look into producing a range of

similar products, aimed at the amateur movie

maker, at a price they could afford. Their first

Jib was designed for lightweight camcorders to

support a maximum weight of 6kg. Robert who

is a member of a local video club, Nottingham

Moviemakers, and of the IAC Film & Video

Institute ( www.theiac.org.uk ), thought this

would be ideal for the market.

Following a review of the Jib in Camcorder

User, August 1994, in which it received a

95% Gold award, they found the majority

of their enquiries came from corporate

and professional users who were using

heavier full size camcorders, so a Pro-Jib to

support heavier camcorders up to 14kg was

introduced. Since then they have increased

their range of grip equipment for both the

professional and amateur user.

Their factory and sales office is located on the

outskirts of Nottingham, on the edge of the

Colwick Industrial Estate. The company also

owns additional warehouse space located

nearer the city centre. They also have a

showroom, with easy off-street parking, where

customers are welcome to visit and try out the

equipment by prior appointment. The products

Hague manufacture now include a range of

jibs and cranes with the new Multi Jib being

one of their best sellers as it can be used at

three different lengths. There are also three

tracking systems and a large range of vehicle

suction mounts, clamps and brackets.

The company is now one of the country’s

leading suppliers of Manfrotto tripods, clamps,

brackets and camcorder controllers. They

also supply other camcorder accessories,

including high capacity batteries for the most

popular camcorders, wide angle lens adaptors,

microphones, lights, power heads, monitors,

bags etc.

Hague also stock all sorts of specialist camera

mounts that are quite often difficult to get

hold of, as many retailers do not stock this

type of item. They also specialize in mounting

cameras in unusual places, including vehicles,

and can usually adapt mounts if necessary. All

items are usually available from stock.

The company employs eight people with a

sales team of Kath, John and Robert. Robert

is also in charge of new video products which

are always being developed. They have

recently brought out a handy accessory for

the Sony HS1 which simply converts the

small Sony accessory shoe to a standard size

accessory shoe enabling other manufacturer’s

microphones, lights etc to be attached to the

camcorder. They’ve also engineered a tripod

adaptor that enables you to change tapes in

the Sony HC1 or A1 without removing it from

the tripod.

They have made specialist grip equipment for

hospitals to film operations, and developed

custom accessories for Police Forces across

the country. They also supply Colleges and

Universities with a range of camera grip

equipment for use by students on their film and

media courses, as well as supplying the BBC

and Independent TV companies with specialist

equipment from stock or custom built.

Hague also stock products by Manfrotto, Libec,

Ianiro, Rode, Sennheiser, Lowepro, Kata, Swit,

Vari-zoom, Redeye, Raynox, Hama, Cullmann.

Contact details: Web: www.b-hague.co.uk

.Address: B. Hague & Co. Ltd. Mile End Road,

.Colwick, Nottingham. NG4 2DW.

Phone: 0115 987 0031 Fax: 0115 987 2900

.E-mail: [email protected]



Title: How to Shoot, Edit & Distribute HDV

Author: Andrew Lock

Publisher: FPPC

ISBN: 0-9777441-0-8

Price: £14.99

Web site: www.hdvbook.com

There is no doubt that many people

are cashing in on the whole HDV

revolution. There are books, training

DVDs, web sites and a whole lot more; some

good, some not so good, some brilliant, some

just plain lousy. The book ‘How to Shoot, Edit

& Distribute HDV’ that I am reviewing here falls

into the ‘Brilliant’ category.

Author Andrew Lock is a professional

video producer, consultant and trainer with

over 12 years experience in the industry. He

has produced video marketing projects for

corporate clients such as Sony and British

Airways. Lock is a recognised advisor in

the video production and film industry and

his numerous articles and books are highly

regarded. Lock was born in the UK, but now

resides in the USA. Over there, he has a

reputation for his frank, honest and direct

approach and has been dubbed by his peers

as the ‘Simon Cowell’ of the video industry.

Lock doesn’t forget about his roots and us

Brits, he makes regular reference to PAL.

How to Shoot, Edit & Distribute HDV has

23 chapters over 140 pages with plenty of

photographic illustrations scattered throughout.

The book starts with a bit of history and how

we got to where we are today with HDV and

HD, which makes for an interesting read from

a historical point of view. Lock doesn’t bang

on and on with the history lesson (thank god),

instead he makes it brief and to the point, and

what he does say is valid and worth knowing.

He then gets stuck into the technical aspects

of HDV covering the usual pixel count and

other resolution related stuff as well as frame

sizes and frame rates and the 24p trend and

an overview on the HDV audio codec. He also

touches on Panasonic’s P2 HD technology,

even though it is not HDV.

The next 36 pages cover the current crop

of HDV camcorders, both professional and

consumer; Lock does a good job of listing

them by Pro and Consumer category. The

HDV cameras include the Sony Z1, FX1 &

A1, JVC GY-HD100, Canon XL H1 and many

others. The next section is entitled ‘Shooting

HDV’ and although there are only 12 pages

that make up this section, this chapter alone

is worth the £14.99 asking price as it points

out many things that many newbies to HDV

(as well as established HDV shooters) won’t

be aware of. These include important factors

such as widescreen, focusing, panning &

camera moves, exposure, filters, direct-to-disc

recording, audio and a brief bit on lighting – all

of which differ greatly from shooting regular

SD such as Mini-DV and DVCAM.

Chapter 16 has 9 pages dedicated to ‘the

film look’ and how to achieve it with HDV. This

is a brilliant chapter that encapsulates getting

the ‘film look’ in a quick 10 minute read. I’ve

read many a post on the usual forums out on

the internet with people asking how they can

get the film look and I’m amazed at the usual

responses to this question such as “convert

to 24p in post-production”. To many, getting

the film look all boils down to converting your

interlaced footage to 24p, or shooting in some

sort of progressive mode to start with. Well,

there is a whole bunch more to it than that

such as: lighting, filters, exposure, depth of

field, aspect ratio, gamma curves, camera

support e.g. Steadicam and tripods, grain &

artefacts, grading and film colourization, oh

yes, and a 24p frame rate. Lock does a great

job of explaining all the above and why there is

a lot more to it than a progressive 24p frame-

rate alone.

Chapter 17 and 18 covers the topic of

editing HDV and the hardware and software

available and how it differs. Chapter 20

covers some of the useful HDV devices and

accessories that can be bought including

decks, chroma-keying software and 35mm

lens adaptors. Then the book moves swiftly

onto the subject of HDV monitoring and the

various monitors that are available for editing

and colour grading in post-production with

a comparison between Plasma and LCD

screens and the advantages/disadvantages of

both with make/model recommendations and

the usual technical advice on pixel count for

HDV viewing. Chapter 22 covers the topic of

‘how to distribute HDV’ and the various options

available. This part of the book covers the

various options e.g. ‘shoot DV/DVCAM – edit

DV/DVCAM ‘ shoot HDV – edit DV/DVCAM’

‘shoot HDV – edit HDV’ and the pros and cons

with all of them. Lock also explains about the

upcoming format war between Blu-Ray and

HD-DVD, the pros and cons to both. Luckily

for us, we won’t have to concern ourselves

with the pros and cons part as both these

formats are radically different with regard to

the playback and record technologies; so there

can be only one winner in the end. This will

surely be dictated by who is supporting which

format and the usual marketing muscle, as

opposed to which one is the best; does VHS

vs. Betamax ring any bells? Well, Betamax

was by far the superior format, yet VHS won.

It’s about to happen all over again. Lock gives

his thoughts on these two formats, covering

the technical issues and which big companies

are backing which of the two.Lock does not

own a crystal ball so he has no way of knowing

who will win this format battle in the long run,

but his insights are a fascinating read and

he has some interesting views on Blu-Ray

discs and HD DVD discs. This chapter is

short and to the point, Lock does not go into

any technical details here, he simply gives

the reader a brief insight into the two formats.

All this is just another part of the whole HDV

revolution that Lock covers in this book.

So, there it is, if you are confused by all

the conflicting information surrounding HDV

then you could do a lot worse then order

a copy of this great little book by Andrew

Lock. It’s an easy read, I got through the 140

pages in a single sitting and by the time I had

finished I didn’t feel like I’d been stuffed with

an abundance of irrelevant technical jargon.

My brain was comfortably stimulated by the

content, much of it I knew already, but there

were some great little gems that I did not know

about too. Lock has done an excellent job of

encapsulating the entire HDV workflow from

concept to completion.

To order a copy visit: www.hdvbook.com

Summary: A fantastic book covering all

aspects of HDV. The 140 pages are clearly

written by UK-born author Andrew Lock.

If you are new to HDV this book is a must,

if you are already on the HDV bandwagon,

this book will clarify things that you might

not have known about. This book is a

fast-track way to get up to speed with HDV

and everything it stands for. At just £14.99

you simply can’t go wrong. My book was

shipped from the USA but by the time you

read this there will be a stock in their UK

office for cheaper shipping.

Rating:

Editor digesting HDV info.

Nigel Cooper gives you the low-down on tripods and accessories

All serious camera operators understand the importance of a good quality tripod. All

professional video work will require a tripod, at some stage, therefore it’s important to

choose the right tripod for the job. A tripod consists of a head and a set of legs. These are

separate components, although most tripods are usually sold as a package made up of

the head, legs, a spreader and case.

Selecting A TripodIn most cases a good tripod will outlive your camera – by many years. Most tripod

manufacturers make a range of tripods designed for use with different size/weight

camcorders so it’s important to choose your tripod accordingly. It would be no good

buying a tripod designed for a full-size shoulder mounted camcorder such as a Sony

XDCAM HD model, to use with a smaller lighter camcorder such as a Sony V1, as it

simply won’t balance right.

Try not to penny-pinch and compromise too much with your tripod. For many years,

professionals and amateurs alike would buy a tripod budgeted at approximately 20% of

the value of their camera e.g. if the camera was a Sony Digibeta costing £22,500, they

would pay around £4,500 for a tripod. If the camera were a Sony PD170 costing £2,700,

they would pay around £450 for a tripod. Don ‘t ask me who invented this rough camera-

to-tripod ratio or why people follow it – they just do.

But, it’s now time to change this ratio rule, why? Because today’s prosumer and

semi-professional camcorders such as the Sony Z1, Canon XL H1, JVC GY-HD111E and

Panasonic HVX200, produce images so good they are snapping at the heels of many

high-end professional broadcast cameras. It’s for this reason that you should be spending

more on a tripod – because your camcorder is worth it.

Tripod Components The tripod is made up of the head, legs and spreader. The head supports the camera and provides the movement. It should be noted here that

all tripods heads are not created equal. If you’ve got the money it’s definitely worth investing in a quality, fluid head tripod. The fluid head, as its

name implies, provides fluid (smooth) movement during panning and tilting. You’ll really appreciate this feature when trying to video subjects when

zoomed in close. Tripod legs come in many varieties. The main differences are with their height, weight and general sturdiness. They come in

single-stage or two-stage, mid-spreader or floor-spreader, alloy or carbon fibre. Some have

a claw ball bowl design that allows the head to be levelled on the tripod legs with the aid of a

spirit-levelling bubble.

The Head The first thing you will need to establish is whether to go for a 75mm or 100mm ball base

size head. This will be determined by the size/weight of your camcorder. See under ‘75mm or

100mm bowl opening legs’ further down the page. For small to mid-sized camcorders such as

the Sony Z1, Panasonic HVX200, Canon XL H2, JVC GY-HD100 etc, you will need a 75mm

bowl/ball base head and for larger/heavier full size shoulder mounted camcorders such as a

Sony XDCAM HD and DSR450 you will need a 100mm bowl/ball base head.

Drag ControlMost video tripod heads have drag controls for the pan and tilt. The drag controls

allow you to adjust the amount of resistance during a pan or tilt movement. This

varies from a very tight/stiff control with lots of resistance to a very loose/free control

with virtually no resistance at all. You can set the drag control for the pan and tilt

to anywhere in-between these two extremes. There are two types of drag control

systems; continuous and step. Continuous means you can set the drag precisely

via a dial, you simply turn the dial until the desired amount of drag is reached. Step

drag systems work differently. With a step system there will be a number of fixed

positions to choose from, this could be 3, 5, 8 etc. Obviously the more step choices

you have the better the chances of you being able to choose a drag setting that suits

the shooting situation. It’s usually better to go for the continuous type as you have

much more control over setting up the head. With both continuous and step drag

control systems, you can set the drag controls for both pan and tilt separately i.e. you

might prefer a tighter setting for the tilt, but a looser setting for the pan, or vice-versa.

The more control you have over these head settings, the better. Some of the more

expensive heads also have a counter-balance system to help balance your camera

perfectly (see balance on next page).


Fluid or Friction?Tripod heads come in two varieties, fluid or friction. This refers to how

the drag controls work i.e. setting the drag controls for the pan and tilt to

achieve more or less resistance. The friction based method for controlling

drag is the cheaper option and is usually found on budget priced tripods.

The friction drag control method works okay, but it is a relatively cheap

manufacturing process and is found on tripods that are built to a budget,

and it is nowhere near as smooth or effective as a fluid controlled head.

Fluid heads use an internal fluid to create the dampening effect for

the pan and tilt controls. Because the manufacturing process for a fluid

tripod head is more complex, the heads are more expensive; but there is

still a difference between a lower priced fluid head and a more expensive

professional fluid head. There is no doubt that a bottom of the range fluid

head will work better than a top of the range friction head. However, a

cheaper fluid head such as the Manfrotto 503 (£300) will not work as

precisely as a more expensive professional model such as a Vinten Vision

6. An out-and-out professional fluid head such as any of Vinten’s Vision

range (£650 and upwards for head only) or the more expensive Sachtler range (£650 and upwards for head only) are manufactured under stringent

condition and are built for professional use; and professionals are a real fussy bunch when it comes to tripod heads. The Vinten and Sachtler range

have all the air bubbles vacuumed out of the fluid during the manufacturing stage and the fluid used is of a superior kind and is different from the

fluid used in lower priced fluid heads. Unlike the cheaper fluid heads that have irritating characteristics such as ‘creep’ (where the head creeps back

in the fluid a few millimetres at the end of a pan) and ‘dead spots’ (where there are moments during a pan or tilt that you don’t feel the fluid i.e. you

hit an air pocket, or a sudden temperature change from indoors to outdoors affects the fluid), the more expensive professional fluid heads don’t

have any of these niggly characteristics or problems hence they are built for out-and-out professional work where only the very best will do.

Quick Release or Sliding Plate?Tripod heads come with two types of release plates, this can take the form of a

camera plate fixed to the bottom of the camera that clicks on and off the tripod

head, or a sliding plate fixed to the bottom of the camera that slides on and off the

tripod head. These are known as the quick release plate and the sliding plate. In

reality they are both quick and easy to release from the tripod head. With the quick

release type you usually press a safety button in, then pull a release lever. With

the sliding plate type you usually loosen a lever half a turn then slide the plate off

towards the back of the head whilst pressing in a safety button. There is not much

difference in the amount of time it takes to release your camcorder from the head

with either of these systems, so if you need to get from a tripod shot to a handheld

shot quickly there is not much in it.

A quick-release mechanism is more common on stills photographic tripod heads

and video tripod heads designed for much smaller camcorders such as the Sony

HVR-A1E or similar size/weight palmcorders. The quick release mechanism is also

found on lower priced video tripod heads. This allows you to quickly remove the

camera from the tripod, but it leaves no room for balancing the camcorder on the head as you cannot slide it back and forth and lock it into position

like a sliding plate.

The sliding plate variety is found on the better and more expensive professional tripods. The sliding plate design assures the camera is mounted

to the head in a much more secure manner; it feels sturdier and safer. The sliding plate also allows for a degree of balance as you can slide the

plate back and forth within about an 8-centimetre range, then clamp it into place. This means that you can get the camera’s centre of gravity directly

above the tripod head even if the camcorder is front or back heavy. The sliding plate system allows for finer adjustment, which equates to superior

balance and better performance.

Perfect BalanceSome tripod heads have a counterbalance system that prevents the

camcorder from slowly tilting backward or forwards when you remove

your hand from the pan bar. Tripod manufacturer Vinten call their system

‘Perfect Balance’. These special tripod heads have a large spring inside

them, which forces the head back to its horizontal position when you take

your hand off the pan bar. Once you have your camcorder mounted on

the tripod head and have adjusted the tension of the spring via a large

external knurled knob (Vinten Vision series except Vision 3), you can then

tilt the camcorder up or down into any position, let go of the pan bar, and,

as if by magic, the camcorder and tripod head will remain in that position.

This feature comes into its own if you have to tilt up or down into a shot,

then hold the shot for a few seconds. Trying to hold a shot like this steady

with a non-balancing head would be incredibly difficult.


€€€ TRIPOD INFO BASE


TRIPOD INFO BASE €€€

The Legs Obviously the legs must be sturdy enough to hold the weight of the camera and any

additional accessories that might be attached. Modern tripod legs are much lighter these

days due to the use of alloy tubing or carbon fibre options, and take the form of either a

single-stage or two-stage design. Single-stage legs have just one sliding section to the

construction and are generally slightly cheaper than two-stage models. The advantage of

a single-stage tripod is that they are easier to set up and pack away as there is only one

locking section to each leg. However, they don’t pack away quite as small as a two-stage

tripod, as the leg sections have to be a bit longer.

Two-stage legs have two sliding sections to the construction, which allow the legs to

collapse down to a shorter length taking up less room when folded away. The two-stage

tripod is also better for lower to the ground shooting angles due to its three shorter leg

sections as opposed to the two longer leg sections of a two-stage model. If you shoot

corporate videos and weddings and the like and have no need for really low shooting

angles and don’t mind the overall length being about 7 inches longer when packed away,

save yourself some money and go for a single-stage design as they are easier to use. If

however you need to shoot from a very low to the ground angle and/or need your tripod to

fold up that little bit smaller (perhaps to fit in a small boot of a car) then go for a two-stage

tripod.

75mm or 100mm bowl opening legs?The ‘Bowl’ is the circular concave opening at the top of the legs that

the head fits into. The standard bowl sizes (openings) are 75mm

and 100mm. Although bowl sizes come in larger sizes than this

i.e. 150mm, they are for much larger cameras i.e. 35mm film. The

75mm and 100mm bowl designs cover cameras from small hand

held models right up to full size professional shoulder mounted

models. The larger 100mm bowl allows for a larger head to be fitted,

which will accommodate full size shoulder mount cameras such as

Sony Digibeta, XDCAM and HDCAM models. The larger 100mm

bowl does a better job of supporting larger camcorders due to its

larger diameter opening. However, a 100mm bowl is not necessary

for smaller or mid-sized camcorders. For smaller/medium size

camcorders such as the Sony Z1, Panasonic HVX200, Canon XL H1

and JVC GY-HD111 a 75mm bowl tripod will be perfect. If you buy a

set of tripod legs with a 75mm bowl opening you will need to buy a

tripod head with a ball base size of 75mm. If you buy a set of tripod

legs with a 100mm bowl opening you will need to buy a tripod head

with a ball base size of 100mm.

Tripod legs bowl opening and head ball base size

compatibility chart.

75mm bowl/ball base size is suitable for small to mid size/weight

camcorders such as:

Sony HVR-Z1E, HVR-V1E, DSR-250

Panasonic HVX200, DVX100

JVC GY-HD111E, GY- DV5000E

Canon XLH1, XL2 and similar size/weight camcorders.

100mm bowl/ball base size is suitable for larger full size shoulder

camcorders such as:

Sony DSR450, DVW-970P, PDW-530P, F350 XDCAM HD

Panasonic AJ-SDX900, AG-HDX400 and similar size/weight

camcorders.

Alloy or Carbon?What are the advantages/disadvantages with alloy and carbon

tripod legs?

Alloy legs are more durable, can be repaired if the tube gets bent,

drop more easily after deploying legs, and they are cheaper to buy.

Carbon legs, on the other hand, weigh less, don’t corrode in salt

water, it’s a sexier material, and it’s much stiffer. However, carbon

legs are more expensive than alloy ones.

The SpreaderThe spreader is a brace that is fitted between the three

legs of the tripod. There are two types of tripod spreader,

the floor-spreader and the mid-level spreader. The mid-

level spreader is positioned halfway up the tripod legs.

This allows the bottom section of the legs to be adjusted

on uneven ground. This configuration is recommended for

outdoor use or for use when shooting on uneven ground

or where space is not available and one or more legs

have to be set to different lengths to compensate.

The floor-spreader is ideal when shooting on flat surfaces,

such as indoors or in a studio environment. In conjunction

with the two-stage tripod leg design the floor-spreader will allow the tripod to go down to really low level shooting angles.

Dollies & TracksIf you have ever tried to track a subject while walking, you’ll have noticed the

unavoidable camcorder shake that this entails. It’s pretty unavoidable and for

this reason most professionals use a tracking system or dolly when they shoot

objects that are moving. A dolly is a wheeled cart on which the camcorder and

tripod is mounted, the dolly is then pushed along as you film. When using a

wheeled dolly directly on the ground i.e. not on tracks, the surface has to be

smooth for obvious reasons. Big film studios mount the dolly on a track system

and employ an extra person to push/pull it; these people are called grips. These

high-end professional tracking systems can cost thousands of pounds but there

are many cheaper options available from companies such as ABC and B-Hague.

It’s possible to improvise a cheap DIY dolly using such items as a shopping

trolley or better still, a wheelchair, the latter was used by Robert Rodriguez

during the making of his low-budget film El Mariachi.

A very effective dolly shot is to move backwards as actors move towards you,

capturing the look on their faces as they move through the scene. You would also need a dolly for pulling off the contra zoom (or Spielberg shot).

This is where you start on a wide shot, then as you dolly in you simultaneously zoom out. This creates a distorted perspective on the background,

as the subject remains perfectly framed.

Lanc controllersThe Lanc, or sometimes referred to as the Lens controller, is a device that is fitted to the

tripod’s pan handle. A cable then goes from the lanc controller and plugs into the camcorder

(or lens, in the case of shoulder mounted professional cameras). This allows you to operate

various features on the camcorder, but directly from the lanc controller that is conveniently

mounted on the tripod’s pan handle. These features include start/stop record, zoom in/out with

adjustable zoom speeds, ret (for viewing last 5 seconds recorded and/or parking on last frame

of tape after changing tapes). It is much easier and more convenient to operate such features

directly from the tripod’s pan handle as your hand it already on it, it saves reaching around the

camera and fumbling for the zoom and start/stop controls. Lanc controllers are available for

most prosumer/semi-professional camcorders and broadcast 1/2 inch and 2/3rd inch lenses.

Lanc manufacturers include Manfrotto, Libec, Varizoom, BeBob and of course Canon and

Fujinon.

Setting Up Your TripodUnpack your tripod and unclip the leg restraints/restraint. These can take the form of a clip on each leg or

a single string that stops the legs from opening out during transit. Open out the legs and spreader slightly

then undo all the leg locks, then lift the tripod by the head to the required height and allow the legs to

drop, then retighten the leg locks. Adjust the floor or mid-level spreader so the legs are wide enough to

safely prevent the camera/tripod from toppling over.

Undo the bowl-locking knob positioned underneath the head and in-between the legs, this will allow

you to level the head using the spirit-levelling bubble. Once the head is level, lock-off the bowl. Now

adjust the angle of the pan bar so it is in a comfortable operating position; 45° downwards is a good

starting point. Now lock both the pan and tilt locking knobs while you mount the camcorder onto the

tripod.

Fix the sliding plate (or quick release plate) to the base of the camera as close to the camcorder’s

centre of gravity as you can, then tighten it up.

Now place the camera on the tripod. Make sure the drag control for tilt is set to minimum (off with no

drag resistance whatsoever), then while holding the pan bar, loosen the tilt-locking lever off altogether

and slide the camcorder back/forth along the head of the tripod (note: quick release plate designs can’t


€€€ TRIPOD INFO BASE

TRIPOD INFO BASE €€€


do this) until the camera sits perfectly horizontal without falling forward or backward; this is known as finding the camera’s centre of gravity. Be

sure to hover your hand over the pan handle in case the head/camcorder falls back/forth. Once the camcorder is balanced in the dead centre of

the head, lock off the sliding plate to prevent further movement. Adjust the pan and tilt drag tensions to your desired settings, experimenting with

different levels of drag. In general, use lighter drag tension for close or fast-moving subjects. Use heavier drag tension for slow moves, longer

zooms, or if you’re having difficulty keeping the shot steady.

Remember to use the pan and tilt locks to lock the tripod off when you are not using the camera otherwise there could be a danger of the camera

falling (tilting) forward or backward into one of the tripod legs; especially if you are using a tripod that doesn’t have a ‘perfect balance’ system like

those found on the Vinten Vision range or higher end Sachtler and Libec models.

Tripod ManufacturersVinten (made in England) - www.vinten.co.uk

Sachtler (made in Germany) - www.sachtler.co.uk

Libec (made in Japan) - www.libec.co.uk

Miller (made in Australia) - www.millertripods.com

Cartoni (made in Italy) - www.cartoni.com

Manfrotto (made in Italy) - www.manfrotto.com

Tripods suitable for smaller prosumer/semi-professional camcorders i.e. Sony HVR-Z1E & HVR-V1E, Canon XH G1 & XH A1, Panasonic HVX200.

Vinten Vision 3 system with number 2 spring – from £995 inc VAT

Vinten Pro 5 – (budget series tripod, up to 6 kg capacity) £345 inc VAT


Manfrotto 503/525 kit – (budget series tripod, up to 6 kg capacity) £345 inc VAT

Sachtler DV4 system (only 1 step balance) – from £950 inc VAT

Sachtler DV6 system (multi step balance) – from £1250 inc VAT

Cartoni Focus – from £799 inc VAT

Miller DS10 systems – from £850 inc VAT

Libec LS38 system (suitable for cameras up to 4kg) – from £399 inc VAT

Libec TH-950DV (suitable for cameras up to 4kg) – from £199 inc VAT

Libec LS-22DV (suitable for cameras up to 4kg) – from £269 inc VAT

Tripods suitable for smaller shoulder-mount semi-professional camcorders i.e. JVC-GY-HD111E, Canon XL H1

Vinten Vision 3 with number 2 spring (fixed balance system) – from £970 inc VAT

Vinten Vision 6 – (continuous balance system) from £1,595 inc VAT


Manfrotto 503/525 kit – (budget series tripod, up to 6 kg capacity) £345 inc VAT

Sachtler DV6 system (multi step balance) – from £1250 inc VAT

Cartoni Focus (continuous balance system) – from £795 inc VAT

Miller DS10 or DS20 systems – from £850 inc VAT

Libec LS38 (suitable for cameras 4 to 8kg) - £399 inc VAT

Tripods suitable for shoulder-mount ENG type camcorders i.e. Sony DSR450, Panasonic AG-SDC615, AJ-D400, JVC GY-DV5100E


Vinten Vision 6 (continuous balance system) – from £1550 inc VAT

Vinten Vision 8 (continuous balance system) – from £2,150 inc VAT

Miller DS25 system – from £2,100 inc VAT

Libec LS-55 (suitable for cameras 6 to 8kg) – from £599 inc VAT

Tripods suitable for full-on broadcast-professional camcorders i.e. Sony Digibeta, XDCAM HD & HDCAM, Panasonic DVCPRO50 & AJ-D910, JVC D9, Thomson Viper HD




Libec LS-70 (suitable for cameras 5 to 14kg) – from £1149 inc VAT

Libec H85Z (suitable for cameras 5 to 17kg) – from £2049 inc VAT

Miller DS60 system – from £4,250 inc VAT

Get your company l isted here, call sales on 01480 374036


BATTERIES & POWER

AUDIO EQUIPMENT

Beyerdynamic UK Ltd17 Albert Drive, Burgess Hill,West Sussex RH15 9TNTel: 01444 258 258 Fax: 01444 258 444Web: www.beyerdynamic.co.uk

Canford Audio PLCCrowther Road, Washington, Tyne & Wear. NE38 0BWTel: 0191 418 1000 Fax: 0191 418 1001Email: [email protected]: www.canford.co.uk

Digital Village86 Mill Road, Cambridge, Cambs. CB1 2ASTel: 01223 316091 Fax: 01223 353857Email: [email protected]: www.dv247.com

First Sense Broadcast & Film GearThe Television Centre, Bath RoadBristol. BS4 3HGTel: 0117 980 3500 Fax: 0117 972 2217Email: [email protected]: www.firstsense.co.uk

HHB Communications Ltd73 - 75 Scrubs Lane,London, NW10 6QU.Tel: 020 8962 5000 Fax: 020 8962 5050Email: [email protected]: www.hhb.co.uk

Media AtlanticPO Box 5050, Derby. DE23 8ZWTel: 0870 161 5050 Fax: 0870 161 5051Email: [email protected]: www.mediaatlantic.com

River Pro AudioUnit 3, Grange Yard, London. SE1 3AGTel: 020 7231 4805Email: [email protected]: www.riverproaudio.co.uk

Rycote Microphone Windshields Ltd Libby’s Drive, Slad Road, StroudGloucestershire. GL5 1RNTel: 01453 759338 Fax 01453 764249Email: [email protected]: www.rycote.co.uk

Sennheiser U.K Ltd 3 Century Point, Halifax Road, High Wycombe, Bucks. HP12 3SLTel: 01494 551 551 Fax: 01494 551 550Web: www.sennheiser.co.uk

SoundgenieUnit 2, Heybridge Enterprice Center, The Street, Heybridge, Maldon,Essex. CM9 4NNTel: 01621 843200Email: [email protected]: www.wirelessmics.co.uk

Soundkit12 Earle Place, Canton, Cardiff. CF5 NZTel: 02920 342907 Fax: 29020 231235Email: [email protected]: www.soundkit.co.uk

Total Audio Solutions3 Woden Court Park, Saxon Business Park, Hanbury Road, Bromsgrove, Worcs. B60 4ADTel: 01527 880051Email: [email protected]: www.totalaudio.co.uk

BATTERIES & POWER

DS Video FacilitiesUnit 27, Metro Centre, Britannia Way,Coronation Road, London. NW10 7PRTel: 020 8965 8060Email: [email protected]: www.dsvideo.co.uk

Hawk-Woods LtdBriscall House, Wotton Road, Ashford, Kent. TN23 6LWTel: 01233 638715Email: [email protected]: www.hawkwoods.com

IDX Technology Europe Ltd34 Taunton Road, Metropolitan Centre, Uxbridge, Middlesex. UB6 8UQTel: 020 8813 1666 Fax: 020 8813 1777Email: [email protected]: www.idx.tv

PAG565 Kingston Road, Raynes Park,London. SW20 8SAwwTel: 020 8543 3131Email: [email protected]: www.paguk.com

Pro-X P.O. Box 2035, Watford,Hertfordshire. WD18 9WZTel: 01923 712712 Fax: 01923 712777Email: [email protected]: www.dvbuyer.co.uk

Rhino Power & Light LtdPinewood Studios, Pinewood Road,Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire. SLO 0NHTel: 01753 651444 Fax: 01753 651334Email: [email protected]: www.rhinopower.tv

BLANK TAPES, DVDs, CDs & MEDIA

DVDR.CO.UK1 Ravenscourt Park, London, W6 0TZEmail: [email protected]: www.dvdr.co.uk

Double Vision GroupThe Studio, Half Key Farm, Malvern, Worcestershire. WR14 1UPTel: 01886 830084 Fax: 01886 833783Email: [email protected]: www.dvtapes.co.uk

KVJ Fairdeal76 Whitechapel, High Street, London. E1 7QXTel: 020 7247 6029 Fax: 020 7247 5099Email: [email protected]: www.kvjfairdeal.com

MVS VideoAlkham Valley Road, Folkestone, Kent. CT18 7EHTel: 01303 891468Email: [email protected]: www.mvsvideo.com

Penridge Milti-MediaThe Barn, Rashwood Meadow, Droitwich Spa, Worcestehrsire. WR9 0BSTel: 01527 861911Email: [email protected]: www.penridge.com

Pricebusters27 Springfield Road, Harrow Middlesex. HA1 1QFTel: 0870 800 3444 Fax: 020 8930 8782Web: www.pricebuster.org.uk

CAMCORDER MANUFACTURERS

Canon UK LtdWoodhatch, Reigate, Surrey. RH2 8BFTel: 08705 143723 Fax: 01737 220022E: [email protected]: www.canon.co.uk

JVC Professional EuropeJVC House, JVC Business Park, 12 Priestley Way, London. NW2 7BATel: 020 8208 6200Email: [email protected]: www.jvcpro.co.uk

Panasonic Broadcast EuropeWest Forest Gate, Wellington Road,Wokingham, Berkshire. RG40 2AQTel: 0118 902 9200Email: [email protected]: www.panasonic-broadcast.com

Sony Pro Broadcast UKThe Heights, Brooklands, Weybridge,Surrey. KT13 0XWTel: 01932 816 275Web: www.sonybiz.net

CASES & BAGS

CP CasesWorton Hall Industrial Estate,Worton Road, Isleworth,Middlesex. TW7 6ERTel: 020 8568 1881 Fax: 020 8568 1141Email: [email protected]: www.cpcases.com

Kata CasesOfficial UK reseller: Proactive UK Ltd1 Eastman Way, Hemel Hempsted. HP2 7DUTel: 01442 253313 Fax: 01442 260913Email: [email protected]: www.proav.co.uk

Pyser-SGI Ltd (Portabrace)Broadcast Products Division,Fircroft Way, Edenbridge, Kent. TN8 6HATel: 01732 864111 Fax: 01732 865544Email: [email protected]: www.pyser-sgi.com

TV Cases9 Elmsdale, Wightwick, Wolverhampton. West Midlands. WV6 8EDTel: 07976 369776Email: [email protected]: www.tvcases.co.uk

CHROMAKEY & BACKGROUNDS

Bristol UK LtdUnit 3, Sutherland Court, Tolpits Lane, Watford. WD18 9SPTel: 01923 779333 Fax: 01923 779666Email: [email protected]: www.bristolpaint.com

Colorama Photodisplay LimitedUnit 7, Ace Business Park, Mackadown Lane, Kitts Green, Birmingham. B33 0LDTel: 0121 783 9931 Fax:0121 783 1674Email: [email protected]: www.coloramaphotodisplay.co.uk

Lastolite Professional1 & 2 Vulcan Court, Hermitage Ind Est, Coalville, Leicestershire. LE67 3FWTel: 01530 813 381 Fax: 01530 830 408Web: www.lastolite.com

COMPUTER HARDWARE/SOFTWARE

Adobe Systems UK3 Roundwood Avenue, Stockley Park, Uxbridge. UB11 1AYTel: 020 8606 1100 Fax: 020 8606 4004Email: [email protected]: www.adobe.co.uk

Apple Computers UK Ltd2 Furzeground Way, Stockley Park Ind Est, Uxbridge, Middlesex. UB11 1BBTel: 020 8218 1000 Fax: 020 8218 1310Web: www.apple.com/uk

Avid Technology UK3rd Floor, Swan House, 52 Poland Street, London. W1F 7NHTel: 020 7534 2800 Fax: 020 7534 2801Emai: [email protected]: www.avid.co.uk

Canopus EuropeUnit 4, The Duran Centre, 14 Arkwright Rd, Reading, Berkshire. RG2 0LSTel: 0118 921 0150Email: [email protected]: www.canoups-uk.com

CVP Imaging Solutions LtdPriory Mill, Castle Road, Studley, Warks. B80 7AATel: 01527 854222Email: [email protected]: www.creativevideo.co.uk

Datavision LtdRussell Farm, New Road, Maulden, Bedfordshire. MK45 2BGTel: 01525 406886Email: [email protected]: www.datavision.co.uk

Digital Video Computing LtdPhoenix House, 17-19 Norway StreetPortslade, Sussex. BN41 1GNTel: 01273 707200 Fax: 01273 439985Email: [email protected]: www.dvc.uk.com

Edirol EuropeStudio 3.4, 114 Power Road, London. W4 5PYTel: 0870 3501515Email: [email protected]: www.edirol.co.uk

Holdan LtdUnit 2 Waterside Business Park, Waterside, Hadfield, Glossop, Derbyshire. SK13 1BETel: 0845 1304445Email: [email protected]: www.holdan.co.uk

Pinnacle SystemsBuilding 7, The Grand Union Office Park, Packet Boat Lane, Uxbridge,Middlesex. UB8 2GHTel: 01895 424210Web: www.pinnaclesys.co.uk

Planet PCThe Old School, 690 Bradford Road,Birkenshaw, West Yorkshire, BD11 2DRTel: 01274 713400Web: www.planetdv.net

Siren Technology178 Radcliffe New Road, Whitefield,Manchester. M45 7RGTel: 0161 796 5279 Fax: 0161 796 3208Email: [email protected]: www.sirentechnology.co.uk

UleadPO Box 835, Canterbury, Kent. CT2 7WETel: 01227 379 481Email: [email protected]: www.ulead.co.uk

ZEN Computer Services3 Carolina Way, Salford Quays,Manchester. M50 2ZYTel: 0161 736 5300 Fax: 0161 736 5303Email: [email protected]: www.zenvideo.co.uk

DVD DUPLICATION & REPLICATION

24-7 DVD Ltd1 Ravenscourt Park, London. W6 0TZTel: 020 8748 2247 Fax: 020 8237 1247Email: [email protected]: www.24-7dvd.co.uk

Disc MakersUnits 15/16 Raynham Road Trading Est.Bishops Stortford, Herts. CM23 5PDTel: 0845 130 2200 Fax: 01279 657115Email: [email protected]: www.discmakers.co.uk

Double Vision GroupThe Studio, Half Key Farm, Malvern, Worcestershire. WR14 1UPTel: 01886 830084 Fax: 01886 833783Email: [email protected]: www.doublevisiongroup.co.uk

Get your company l isted here, call sales on 01480 374036


Lemon Media LtdHub, Warne Road, Weston Supermare, Somerset. BS23 2UUTel: 01934 423 023 Fax: 01934 645 834Email: [email protected]: www.lemonmedia.co.uk

MVS VideoAlkham Valley Road, Folkestone,Kent. CT18 7EHTel: 01303 891468Email: [email protected]: www.mvsvideo.com

Penridge Milti-MediaThe Barn, Rashwood Meadow, Droitwich Spa, Worcestehrsire. WR9 0BSTel: 01527 861911Email: [email protected]: www.penridge.com

Planet Duplication LtdUnit 6, Woodlands Business Village, Basingstoke, Hampshire. RG21 4JXTel: 01256 474234 Fax: 01256 819076Email: [email protected]: www.planetduplication.co.uk

EQUIPMENT RENTAL COMPANIES

Kitroom Monkey LtdEaling Film Studios, Ealing Green,London. W5 5EPTel: 0845 166 2509Email: [email protected]: www.kitroommonkey.co.uk

River Pro AudioUnit 3, Grange Yard, London. SE1 3AGTel: 020 7231 4805Email: [email protected]: www.riverproaudio.co.uk

EQUIPMENT RETAILERS & DEALERS

Creative Video ProductionsPriory Mill, Castle Road, Studley, Warks. B80 7AATel: 01527 854222Email: [email protected]: www.creativevideo.co.uk

CKE Distribution LtdCrown House, John Street, Shipley, West Yorkshire, BD18 3HU Tel: 01274 533996 Fax: 01274 533997 Web: www.cke.co.uk

Gearhouse BroadcastUnit 14, Olympic Industrial Estate,Fulton Road, Wembley. HA9 0TFTel: 020 8795 1866 Fax: 020 8795 1868Email: [email protected]: www.gearhousebroadcast.com

H Preston Professional Video103 Worcester Road, Malvern,Worcester. WR14 1EPTel: 01684 575486 Fax: 01684 575594Email: [email protected]: www.hpreston.co.uk

Mitcorp UK Ltd23 Shield Drive, West Cross Ind Est,Brentford, London. TW8 9EXTel: 020 8380 7400 Fax: 020 8380 7410Email: [email protected]: www.mitcorp.co.uk

Proactive UK Ltd1 Eastman Way, Hemel Hempsted. HP2 7DUTel: 01442 253313 Fax: 01442 260913Email: [email protected]: www.proav.co.uk

Production GearMillennium Studios, Elstree WayBorehamwood, Herts. WD6 1SFTel: 020 8236 1212 Fax: 020 8236 1414Email: [email protected]: www.productiongear.co.uk

Prokit111 Power Road, Chiswich, London. W4 5PYTel: 020 8995 4664 Fax: 020 8995 4656Email: [email protected]: www.prokit.co.uk

T2 DirectBridge House, Royal Quay, Park Lane, Harefield, Middlesex. UB9 6JATel: 01895 855655 Fax: 01895 822232Email: [email protected]: www.t2direct.com

TNP Broadcast SalesP.O. Box 2035, Watford,Hertfordshire. WD18 9WZTel: 01923 712 712 Fax: 01923 712777Email: [email protected]: www.tnpbroadcast.co.uk

Visual ImpactUnits 3-4 Teddington Business Park, Station Road, Teddington, Middlesex. TW11 9BQ Tel: 0 20 8977 1222 Fax: 020 8943 5307Web: www.visuals.co.uk

EQUIPMENT SERVICE & REPAIRS

Clyde Cunningham Broadcast Eng.96 Downs Road, South Wonston, Winchester, Hampshire. SO21 3EWTel: 01962 881740E: [email protected]: www.dvcamservice.co.uk

MVS VideoAlkham Valley Road, Folkestone, Kent. CT18 7EHTel: 01303 891468Email: [email protected]: www.mvsvideo.com

True Lens Services20 Bank Terrace, Barwell, Leicester. LE9 8GGTel: 01455 848411 Fax: 01455 848 311Email: [email protected]: www.truelens.co.uk

INSURANCE COMPANIES

Anchorman Insurance ConsultantsBuddle Lane, Hatherleigh,Devon. EX20 3HXTel: 01837 810909 Fax: 01837 811135Web: www.anchormaninsurance.co.uk

AUA InsuranceDe Vere H ouse, 90 St Faiths Lane, Norchich. NR1 1NLTel: 01603 623227 Fax: 01603 665516Email: [email protected]: www.aua-insurance.com

Towergate CamerasureFuntley Court, Funtley Hill,Fareham, Hants. PO16 7UYTel: 0870 4115511Email: [email protected]: www.towergate.co.uk

LENSES, MATTE BOXES & FILTERS

Canon UK LtdWoodhatch, Reigate, Surrey. RH2 8BFTel: 08705 143723 Fax: 01737 220022Web: www.canon.co.uk

Pyser-SGI Ltd (Vocas matte boxes)Fircroft Way, Edenbridge, Kent. TN8 6HATel: 01732 864111 Fax: 01732 865544Email: [email protected]: www.vocas.com

Lee FiltersCentral Way, Walworth Industrial EstateAndover, Hampshire SP10 5ANTel: 01264 366245 Fax: 01264 355058Email: [email protected]: www.leefilters.com

FujinonDistributer: Pyser-SGI LtdBroadcast Products Division,Fircroft Way, Edenbridge, Kent. TN8 6HATel: 01732 864111 Fax: 01732 865544Email: [email protected]: www.pyser-sgi.com

South London Filters Ltd3 Richbourne Terrace, London. SW8 1ASTel: 020 7735 1900 Fax: 020 7820 1718Email: [email protected]: www.camerafilters.co.uk

True Lens Services20 Bank Terrace, Barwell, Leicester. LE9 8GG Tel: 0 1455 848411 Fax: 01455 848 311 Email: [email protected]: www.truelens.co.uk

LIGHTING EQUIPMENT

Arri (GB) Ltd2 High Bridge, Oxford Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex. UB8 1LXTel: 01895 475000Email: [email protected]: www.arri-gb.com

Cirro Lite3 Barretts Green Road, London. NW10 7AETel: 020 8955 6700Email: [email protected]: www.cirrolite.com

David Lawrence LightingUnit 7 New Lydenbur Com. Estate,New Lydenberg Street, Woolwich, London. SE7 8NFTel: 020 8858 2820 Fax: 020 8858 2820Email: [email protected]: www.studiolighting.co.uk

Ianiro UK LtdUnit 7 Walkers Road, Manorside Ind Est, Redditch, Worcs. B98 9HETel: 01527 596955 Fax: 01527 596788Email: [email protected]: www.ianiro.com

Photon Beard LtdUnit K3, Cherry Court Way, Stanbridge Rd, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. LU7 4UHTel: 01525 850911Email: [email protected]: www.photonbeard.com

ROYALTY FREE MUSIC CDs

AKM MusicPO Box 3199, Kenilworth. CV8 2ZPTel: 01926 864068Email: [email protected]: www.akmmusic.co.uk

Trackline Music Services68 Alton Street, Crew, Cheshire. CW2 7QBTel: 01270 665750Email: [email protected]: www.trackline.com

YOPO Production MusicPO Box 4700, Bath. BA1 6AHTel: 01225 470011Web: www.yopo.co.uk

STABILIZERS & SUPPORTS

B-Hague Camera SupportsMile End Road, Colwick,Nottingham. NG4 2DWTel: 0115 987 0031Email: [email protected]: www.b-hague.co.uk

GlidecamDistributer: CKE Distribution LtdCrown House, John Street, Shipley, West Yorkshire, BD18 3HU Tel: 01274 533996 Fax: 01274 533997 Email: [email protected]: www.cke.co.uk

TRAINING & SHORT COURSES

Bill Curtis Associates Lighting, Camera, Sound, EditingTel: 01959 563326 Mob: 07958 719099 Email: [email protected]: www.bcassociates.org

Nick WaySound & Sound recordingWeb: www.nickway.co.uk

Ravensbourne CollegeWalden Road, ChislehurstKent. BR7 5SNTel: 020 8289 4900 Fax: 020 8325 8320Email: [email protected]: www.rave.ac.uk

TRIPODS & GRIP EQUIPMENT

Libec Tripods EuropeUnit 7 Walkers Road, Manorside Ind Est. Redditch, Worcs. B98 9HETel: 01527 596955 Fax: 01527 596788Email: [email protected]: www.libeceurope.com

Manfrotto TripodsDistributor: DayMen InternationalTel: 0870 420 5113Web: www.manfrotto.com

Sachtler TripodsDistributer: Visual ImpactTel: 020 8977 1222Web: www.sachtler.com

Vinten TripodsWestern Way, Bury St.Edmunds, Suffolk. IP33 3TBTel: 01284 752121Web: www.vinten.com

VIDEO ACCESSORIES

Composite Video LtdUnit 15, Longate Enterprice Park, 80 Morden Road, Mitcham, Surrey. CR4 4NYTel: 020 8687 9700Email: [email protected]: www.compositevideo.co.uk

Keene ElectronicsOld Hall, Unit 9 Mills Bus Pk, Station Road, Little Eaton, Derby. DE21 5DNTel: 01332 830550Email: [email protected]: www.keene.co.uk

VOICEOVER ARTISTS

Geoffrey Annis261 Boothferry Road, Hessle, East Yorkshire. HU13 0NGTel: 01482 647461Email: [email protected]: www.voiceovers.co.uk/geoffrey.annis

Colin Days Overnight VoiceoversThe Old Rectory, Ombersley, Worcs. WR9 0EWTel: 01562 8222222Email: [email protected]: www.voiceover-uk.co.uk

First Person Digital Media40 Viaduct Drive, Woverhampton,West Midlands. WV6 0UXTel: 01902 772455Web: www.firstpersondigitalmedia.com

YOPO Voiceover ServicesPO Box 4700, Bath. BA1 6AHTel: 01225 470011Web: www.yopo.co.uk

FOR THOSE WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT DIGITAL VIDEO …The complete guide to tripods. FOR THOSE WHO ARE...

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