The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Digital Video Filmmaking Major Keary |
Abbreviations such as DV, DVCAM, DVC, and DVD are presently finding common use and bring with them a sub-set of terms that range through D1 to D9, but what do they mean?
The 'D', of course, means or implies digital. DV is a format for recording sound and vision on 6.35 mm wide video tape at a rate of 5:1, sampling the image at 4:2:0 for PAL, and 4:1:1 for NTSC, and functions at a rate of 25 megabits per second; DVCAM is a similar format developed by Sony and runs on wider tape track (15 mm) at a higher tape speed, which results in shorter playing time for cassettes; DVC Pro is a format, similar to DV, developed by Panasonic and which uses 18 mm wide tape as well as having a slightly higher chrominance level; and DVC Pro 50 is similar to DVC Pro, but uses a higher sampling rate of 4:2:2 and functions at 50 megabits per second.
DVD originally stood for digital video disk, but now stands for digital versatile disk and refers to a method of storing large amounts of video material (or other data) on a 12 cm CD. There are a number of video formats that have been developed by different companies, and they are known as D1 through to D9. The higher the number is not necessarily indicative of performance rating: D1 is the most expensive and is used in high-end work and D2 (by Sony) has been discontinued - details of the others can be found in the glossary of Russell Evans' Practical DV Filmmaking. One interesting entry is diagetic, which "refers to the parts of a shot that directly relate to the narrative. Diagetic sound, for example, would refer to sounds emanating from the scene itself and not added later in post-production". The word should be spelled diegetic, from diegesis - which comes from the Greek word for 'narrative' - that is used in relation to cinematic and television film. A nice word for the superior person's vocabulary.
Practical DV Filmmaking
The publisher of Practical DV Filmmaking, Focal Press, has been around for over half a century and has always been at the forefront of texts on all aspects of cinematography and still photography. This title is in that tradition, providing professional-level advice in plain language. In this instance Focal Press addresses non-professionals in the art of using video technology for film making. Practical DV Filmmaking is a beginners' guide that does not assume any particular knowledge or technical background. It is not designed for those who use a Camcorder for home and holiday movies, although home-video enthusiasts might benefit from this book for the kind of information that could make a gripping production from a grandson's first birthday. The intended audience includes the person who is a newcomer to film making (probably on a next-to-zero budget) and who wants to know how to develop ideas into a workable script, how to shoot original short films, how to use readily available software for editing, and how to bring the finished product to the attention of those who matter. This title addresses four essential aspects of film making: development (from conception through script to a schedule; production (shooting the film); post-production (editing in the widest sense of the term); and distribution (getting one's masterpiece in front of the people who have the power to promote it).
The discussion of distribution includes using the Internet, a topic not put forward just as an idea, but which is discussed in depth. I was surprised by the spread of coverage the author has managed to include in what is not a big book. Apart from what one might describe as the business plan side of film production, he discusses technical issues - such as sound and lighting, and even safety - in considerable detail. If you have ideas of breaking into the film industry by way of making low-budget short films, this is an essential resource. If you would like to make your video record of a holiday into something interesting, rather than boring, this will show you how. Anyone interested in film appreciation should find many of the discussions - especially the chapter Understanding Film - interesting.
The text includes a number of projects that are designed to push the student film maker into devising practical applications of theory. A companion CD includes demo versions of editing software, and other material. References to literature and URLs are provided.
| Russell Evans: Practical DV Filmmaking ISBN 0-240-51657-5 Published by Focal Press, 360 pp. + CD, RRP $72.05 incl. GST |
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Reprinted from the December 2002 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
