AboutAlessandro Machi Expertise Have experience in both video and film, plus videotape editing, archiving, and remastering. Experienced in live event cinematography plus interviews. Have provided Video Post Production Services for independent film & video productions that have been distributed both nationwide and worldwide. Not too familiar with all the various Hd formats although I did operate an HD B-roll camera for an HD independent feature.
Regional Emmy Winner, also an Emmy Internship Scholarship Winner when I first finished college back in the mid 80's, plus several dozen super-8 filmmaking awards and for video productions as well.
I currently offer YouTube uploading tutoring that includes a critique and technical review as well. If you live in Los Angeles and would like to learn more about this educational service send an email to info at slingshotpro.com
Recently finished cinematography work on the film Dali, Dali, Dali which is now in post production.
Experience 25 years of Film & Video Production & Editing Experience including low budget & quality control. I enjoy filming in Super-8.
Organizations Founded Action! Film and Video Production Club while in College.
Publications www.Opednews.com
Education/Credentials Four Year College Program, was one or two classes short of graduation.
Awards and Honors Regional Emmy Winner, 8 Time Vision Award Winner, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Internship Winner, Film Festival Winner for several different Super-8 Films,
Past/Present Clients Sony Pictures, Prudential Jon Douglas, In Defense of Animals, Humane Society of the United States, Ivy Gullickson
Question My son plays HS lacrosse, and a college recruiter suggested we film some games, and forward video tapes to him. He noted they did not need to be professional quality. I have an older Sony Camcorder model CCD-TR814, 8mm. If your not familar with lacrosse, it is played on the standard size HS football, or soccer field. I saw on Ebay a wide angle telephoto lens for sale, that fits this model for $34.00. We will be taping either from the sidelines of the field, or bleachers. Would it a good idea to purchase the wide angle lens to videotape, or use the standard lens which I think is a 24x zoom. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Answer This is a great question but it could take a book to go over all the strategies, so consider this the cliff notes version.
Yes, you can help your son get a scholarship or partial scholarship by videotaping his games, it's not a guarantee but it can help.
I've edited several high school sports tape demos. The parents start review the original footage first and then we "lay back" the best takes to then be edited in a certain sequence. Usually chronological is the most cost effective method. I then meticulously color and video correct the video signal for optimal results.
Editing consumer analog video (which 8mm is) is easier for a professional to do (provided they have the right equipment, some only have digital equipment) than it will be for you, provided the editor cares enough to readjust the video signals to the optimal levels.
The wide angle lens you asked about might not be necessary unless your goal is to be closer to the field. If you plan on shooting from the stands or bleachers the wide angle that the camera comes with is probably acceptable as is. If you decid to put a wide angle attachment on your camera it probably will reduce your telephoto range. That sometimes can be a good thing as the more you zoom in the shakier the footage will look so the wide angle attachment will automatically reduce the zoom range.
I would say if you shoot from the stands, you don't need the
wide angle lens, if you shoot from the sidelines, the wide angle lens is probably a good idea. Shooting from the stands makes it easier to see the whole field because the field is spread out over more of the screen because you are elevated. Possibly the best scenario would be to be slightly elevated but near the sidelines, but usually that position is not available, perhaps for safety reasons, no one would want an athlete to crash into anything strong enough to support the weight of a person and their equipment nor would they want someone crashing off the platform and this elevated position could possibly block the view from the stands.
Make sure your lens is dust free on the surface element otherwise stadium lights or the sun can light up the specs of dust and cause the focus on the camera to go haywire, plus the lit up specs of dust could be easier to spot than our son.
My biggest criticism of consumer videography is the propensity for the camera to mistakenly overexpose the video footage, especially of the athletes. White uniforms usually flare out and it's possible that both team's uniforms can end up looking so washed out it becomes difficult to differentiate the teams from each other, this usually happens when the automatic exposure mode is chosen.
I would recommend only using your current camera if the following conditions are met... You can turn off autoexposure on the camera and the camera allows for manual exposure control. Also, you need to verify that the camera's video tape record path has not gone out of spec over the years. A videotape you record in the camcorder must then play back in another 8mm camcorder, if it does not, you need to determine if your camcorder is out of tape path adjustment or the video head is too worn, at which point it may be time to purchase a newer video camera.
Although I am a big fan of videotape, the United States is allowing other countries to dictate what we are supposed to consume and most videotape manufacturing is being stopped as we speak. It's a shame really because at this point in time I am not a fan of DVD disc recording. If you choose to purchase a new camcorder choose one that has manual exposure control and one in which you can turn off the autofocus function. Mini-DV and Digital-8 are two pretty decent formats to consider. I would avoid touch screen technology when it comes to the menu fuctions as touch screen results in one putting their fingerprints all over the camera screen, which can then show up in certain lighting conditions and be a distraction. I like external knobs and dials for the basic functions such as manual exposure and focus.
I also like to use a menu function called "spotlight", which
reduces contrast, so darker objects in the shot should still be visible even as you slightly "darken" the brighter parts of the scene to prevent overexposure.
I don't think you will need a tripod, just a reasonably steady hand. Wider shots are preferable to establish the formations of both teams, if a play develops, then it's ok to zoom in just a bit. If you zoom in too much, the video will never reveal the true reality of the play as it was developing, which is what the coaches really want to see.
I would never send a camera original as you may not get it back. Because you need to make copies, a digital original should give you a better master to work with, unless you go to a professional editor such as myself that actually still has the really good equipment that was very popular in the late 90's, in which case a betacam sp master actually offers the most versatility.
Besides a "highlights tape" of the best sequences of your son in action, the coaches usually also want to see a full game or at the very least a full half of a game. If you can cut out the time between plays, that is helpful. The purpose of the longer unedited version is to see the flow of an entire game or half game. Since there is no editing, it's raw, and real, which the coaches rely on to evaluate talent, sometimes more so than the highlights tape. Normally I put the highlights tape first (since it's shorter), then I put the longer version of an actual game afterwards.
Remember, super close–ups are not as important as seeing the play develop in a wider shot, but an occasional partial zoom in can be very beneficial as well. I'm not saying stay wide all the time, but just figure out an acceptable balance of when to stay wide and when to go zoom in just a bit. One rule of thumb is to never lose where the ball is and also don't exclude too many players from any shot as it tends to reduce the coaches ability to study what was going on.
Many coaches still request vhs copies but DVD has become popular as well. You probably still have more questions but I don't want to overinundate you all at once.
