Episode 11: Rev3 Studio Operations [discussion]

[crumbles]

Interested in television studio production? Get a web-hand look at our new studio and how it works as Studio Engineer David Randolph gives a tour and basic rundown of the operations of the brand new Revision3 Studio.

[crumbles]

OMG, I just had a heart attack. Downloading now!

[joey85]

Wow! 30 Minutes?! Looks great, can't wait!

Long Live R3G! :D

[blazes816]

Best R3G ever.

[erisar]

Very cool and informative episode. Thanks Dave. :)

[crumbles]

Wow I have a high respect for Dave now. GREAT episode.

[sonofdad]

That was awesome, i have been waiting for a show like this for a long time

[dayneman1]

"Best R3G ever."

I could not agree more.:D

[synne]

great show. I had no idea how complicted a studio could be.

[etamin]

I think I just had a nerdgasm

[mrfluff]

im starting college in september, im doing a course in media production and this has been really helpful. you guys should make a show about the production side of revision3. stuff like editing tips explaining the equipment in greater detail. behind the scenes of making the shows and it should all be presented by mr randolph. It would be awesome.
Thanx loads and keep up the good work
Jake, uk
P.S. diggnation rocks

[zedizdead]

I used to intern at a public access station. This show really reminded me of those days. If only I lived in San Fran.

Great show guys!

[therealjk]

I really enjoyed the episode and realized how lucky we are as Rev3 viewers to get something like this. To think a few years ago we only had one phenomenal show to watch on weeknights and now we have this behemoth of great content at great quality standards is just amazing.

[crumbles]

...and [I] realized how lucky we are as Rev3 viewers to get something like this. Agree 100%

[haqattaq]

Best Revision 3 Gazette yet.

If only a hot chic could have presented that same information...

nah..... i guess Dave will do. ;) Awesome!

[amal8301]

Nice, but I wanted to point out that Avid Xpress Free DV is no longer available for download on their site.:(

[drandolph]

Nice, but I wanted to point out that Avid Xpress Free DV is no longer available for download on their site.:(

OMG your right, well that sucks, guess that means people on PC's have to use movie maker or shell out some cash for premiere or avid xpress dv.

Now the Mac fan boys have iMovie or final cut express for $200.

There was an open source linux editing package that was nice but the name escapes me.

[esalonia]

Great episode! Very informative.


See if we cant get Sarah Lane in the next episode.

Either way, this is exactly the kind of content people want to see in R3G. I think you guys hit the nail on the head with this episode. Keep up the good work!

[eggspendablecrew]

Ding Ding Ding Ding

I think you really nailed what this group is looking for. Very well done episode. Only thing is you might have used up 3 episodes worth of content. :p

[jay]

Ok David, but let's be honest: iMovie is horrible. Worse, any of you out there that learn how to edit using iMovie are learning wrong.

I learned on the Steenbeck, myself, so I'm the old crotchity guy about this sort of thing, but at least Avid and FCP make sense to me.

Here's a pic I found of what I used to edit on:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/34/108620493_5ba018f013.jpg

Anyway, to all you would-be web broadcasters out there, let me recommend one thing that David didn't mention: SOUND. In my opinion, you can make mediocre content 100X better if you pay attention to sound. My first investment, before a light kit, would be a good wired or wireless lapel kit and maybe a radio shack mini mixing board. It makes bad video look good, trust me.

-Jay

[nextgenxbox]

Anyway, to all you would-be web broadcasters out there, let me recommend one thing that David didn't mention: SOUND. In my opinion, you can make mediocre content 100X better if you pay attention to sound. My first investment, before a light kit, would be a good wired or wireless lapel kit and maybe a radio shack mini mixing board. It makes bad video look good, trust me.

-Jay

I agree completely with that. In fact, I even blogged about it:
http://www.filmschooljournal.com/2008/01/05/get-great-footage-by-knowing-your-gear/

Sound is VERY important but often ignored.

P.S. - GREAT episode. Behind the scenes stuff is awesome.

[travislopes]

I definitely was not expecting to be watching the Rev3 Gazette today. This was an excellent episode and I hope to see more episodes like these in a future (and hopefully on a more regular basis.)

[zorgul]

The episode does not play on the Apple TV. Am i the only one having this problem?

[ryudo]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS S!!!!!!!


This is the kinda stuff I have been wanting.

Great episode.

now that one wish fullfilled hoping to see digital digs part 2 where they show what the people at rev3 have at home in computers and setups.


And get well soon Sarah.:)

[nextgenxbox]

The episode does not play on the Apple TV. Am i the only one having this problem?

Your problem is you're using an AppleTV. ;) ... I kid, I kid.

[kevingelinas]

Great episode. Content is king. And did I see "Gator" somewhere in there. Man I miss that man.

[phatlip12]

PLEASE tell me Tekzilla isn't going to have a green screen set.

[chuckles]

There was an open source linux editing package that was nice but the name escapes me.

Cinelerra (http://cv.cinelerra.org/about.php)? LiVES (http://lives.sourceforge.net/)? KiNO (http://kinodv.org/)?

-chuckles-

[glugory]

Am I the only person that noticed the Digg Reel thing? What's that?

[phatlip12]

HOLY_CRAP! Major props to Dave on this one. What did you go to school for to know all of this stuff?

[ryudo]

PLEASE tell me Tekzilla isn't going to have a green screen set.
That is for TRS they already showed the Tekzilla set (briefly) as the same brick wall thing.

[cheatrz]

That is for TRS they already showed the Tekzilla set (briefly) as the same brick wall thing.

I don't think it's for TRS, they shoot that in LA, and I'm not sure the guys have the cash to be flying back and forth between LA and SF every week.

But yeah, I came here to say what pretty much everyone else has said so far, this is the best R3G ever. This is the geeky stuff I love Rev3 for =]

[ryudo]

Ah true,well maybe it's for something new as pointed out earlier in the topic something called "the digg reel".

[nextgenxbox]

Am I the only person that noticed the Digg Reel thing? What's that?

Sounds interesting .... there seems to be another word on top of DIGG... can't make it out... looks like it says THE.... so THE DIGG REEL.

Wonder what it will be... since we already have diggnation which covers the digg stories... hmmmmmmmmm...

Edit: Did some checking. www.diggreel.com is owned by Rev3

Registrant:
Revision 3

2415 Third Street
Suite 232
San Francisco, California 94107
United States

Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: DIGGREEL.COM
Created on: 30-Oct-07
Expires on: 30-Oct-09

I wonder what kind of show it will be...

[thehumaneclipse]

I went to college for video production and just before I was able to gt a job, my back went out. I miss those good old days of working in the studio and the control room. It was nice to see the setup, different then what I had in college, but similar in a lot of ways. Keep up the good work.

Is there a way to see a behind the scenes of Tekzilla or another show? It could be from the beginning (where you come up with the ideas for the episode) to the end (where the video production is done). That would be cool.

[thezach]

Dave,

I have worked in a small setup with just a Mackie SRS 32-4 and a computer. I am seriously jealous of your setup and would love to learn more about it. Honestly this is the best video I have ever seen on the internet!

[nextgenxbox]

Dave,

I have worked in a small setup with just a Mackie SRS 32-4 and a computer. I am seriously jealous of your setup and would love to learn more about it. Honestly this is the best video I have ever seen on the internet!

Seriously. I don't think ANY internet TV station has the setup that Rev3 has.... it is absolutely RIDICULOUS how AWESOME it is!

I bow to David and his knowledge.

I'm a film student so this episode really made me drool.... so much shiny gear... so many buttons... weeeee! :)

[thezach]

Ok David, but let's be honest: iMovie is horrible. Worse, any of you out there that learn how to edit using iMovie are learning wrong.

I learned on the Steenbeck, myself, so I'm the old crotchity guy about this sort of thing, but at least Avid and FCP make sense to me.

Here's a pic I found of what I used to edit on:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/34/108620493_5ba018f013.jpg

Anyway, to all you would-be web broadcasters out there, let me recommend one thing that David didn't mention: SOUND. In my opinion, you can make mediocre content 100X better if you pay attention to sound. My first investment, before a light kit, would be a good wired or wireless lapel kit and maybe a radio shack mini mixing board. It makes bad video look good, trust me.

-Jay


Radio shack is a good place to buy LEDs and other equipment brands - but please stay away from Radio Crack brand stuff - its always built extremley cheep! I've learned the hard way!

[thezach]

I would seriously be the person who cleans up after Alex and Kevin puke at the next Diggnation live taping just to get a chance for my eyes to feast upon such a awesome sight.

[ryudo]

It was more like looking at the controls of the bridge of the enterprise with all those screens and glowing buttons....*nerdgasm*

[nextgenxbox]

I just hope diggnation doesn't film on a stage... because that would just be weird.... I hope they keep filming in Kevin and Alex's apartments. Keep it indie! :)

[thezach]

It was more like looking at the controls of the bridge of the enterprise with all those screens and glowing buttons....*nerdgasm*

Your analogy is illogical. The enterprise is a work of fiction, what you saw is reality. Learn to control your emotions.

[scoobydiesel]

whoa i really enjoyed this eppisode a great way to come back.
It was without a doubt the best eppisode to date an i hope for more great ones in the near future.

[nextgenxbox]

whoa i really enjoyed this eppisode a great way to come back.
It was without a doubt the best eppisode to date an i hope for more great ones in the near future.

Yeah, I agree. This is what all us "behind the scenes" geeks want to see. What/who makes the shows possible. The episode really was GREAT. It was very well put together.

And the HV20 by Canon that David suggested IS a great camera. I recently purchased it along with a Rode Videomic and I love it! I will, hopefully, buy the wide angle lens adapter for it and a light kit.... my intention is to shoot my school shorts.... but who knows, I might give a web/net/podcast a shot. :)

[ryudo]

Your analogy is illogical. The enterprise is a work of fiction, what you saw is reality. Learn to control your emotions.

Damn green blooded Vulcan....

[mikec]

Dave... Please learn NOT to trust wikipedia.

IFB means Interrupted Feedback, or Interrupted Fold-Back. This system is also called Interrupted Return Feed (IRF); program Interrupt, or prompt mute.

My source: http://www.rtsintercoms.com/glossary.php

I trust RTS much more then wikipedia.

Also, how many people do you need for a studio show? Heck, we used to do it sometimes with one camera op, who also was the stage manager, one Video/audio/tape person and a director/switcher/graphics person.

As for using breakers for the lights, they will need to be replaced sooner then if you didn't use them that way. The facility I used to work at had the same setup as well. For a short term fix it is OK, but it does suck when you can't dim lights.

[brucebeh]

good episode, i liked it!!

hopefully future episodes, we will get to see a show recording take place while getting to view the behind the scenes stuff!

[elwd56]

I found your show very entertaining, always wondered what it took to get the shows up. thanks for curing my curiosity. Oh yeah Sarah, If you ever need a fill in for Patrick, I think Dave would be an excellent choice, the way he put the content out kept my attention. Good Luck in 08, and I'll keep my fingers crossed that R3 takes off, cause I'm tired of chasing you guys all over the net.

[yodaguy5]

I just hope diggnation doesn't film on a stage... because that would just be weird.... I hope they keep filming in Kevin and Alex's apartments. Keep it indie! :)

It would be funny if they did it for an episode and half way through or at the end are like by the way we are at the new Rev3 Studio!!! Then have a crazy party after which ends up being a R3G.

[drandolph]

Dave... Please learn NOT to trust wikipedia.



My source: http://www.rtsintercoms.com/glossary.php

I trust RTS much more then wikipedia.

Also, how many people do you need for a studio show? Heck, we used to do it sometimes with one camera op, who also was the stage manager, one Video/audio/tape person and a director/switcher/graphics person.

As for using breakers for the lights, they will need to be replaced sooner then if you didn't use them that way. The facility I used to work at had the same setup as well. For a short term fix it is OK, but it does suck when you can't dim lights.

Sometime when your first getting your start like i did (way to long ago) your told one definition and then for the rest of your life you never have to say that acronym ever again. I think it has been maybe 10 years since I've said anything other than "IFB" or "IEM" as anything other than a word.

Normal studio positions would be something along the lines of Director / Technical Director / Tape Ops (Some times a tape op's 2nd position) / Shading / Audio (Some times 2nd Audio) / Producer / Prompter / Graphics / CG's ( These are usually the same unless the show is really graphics heavy) Then the stage crew 2 people for every camera (1 camera operator, 1 Utility) / 1-2 for lighting / If live music then a house audio person / Floor director / maybe a few stage hands.

That would be a full studio crew, there are places that run with 2-3 people, sometimes 1 person. It depends on the production and the size of the stage, but if you want to have a mix of camera shots and not just bouncing between locked off cameras then you want a floor director to move the people and talent around and a camera op for each camera.

The size of our stage and the way the control room is configured makes it fairly light crew to get the same depth as a heavier studio.

Position 1: Technical Director / Director / Tape Op's
Position 2: Graphics / Prompter
Position 3: Audio board and stage audio
Position 4: Camera 1 and floor director
Position 5: Camera 2 and 3

What we have:
Me
Intern 1
Intern 2
2 New guys starting next week
(The interns are learning fast, so there is a lot of promise there)

The breakers will wear out very quickly and right now it is just a money thing, but I have a secret that I put into the blue prints. (I had all of the circuits tied to a junction box on the catwalk above the light grid.) When we get a dimmer rack I can drop it in place and not even have to hire an electrician to wire it up. When our viewership goes up i get more money to spend! Yeah!!!

[nextgenxbox]

...but I have a secret that I put into the blue prints. (I had all of the circuits tied to a junction box on the catwalk above the light grid.) When we get a dimmer rack I can drop it in place and not even have to hire an electrician to wire it up. When our viewership goes up i get more money to spend! Yeah!!!

I bow to you. Hehe. It's like you thought of everything. And for such a small budget too.

[mikec]

Dave, what are you using for graphics? Duet? Viz? Photoshop pages over chroma key green or blue? A ute for every camera... I understand if you were using handhelds but from where I came from we never bothered. Heck, get the camera ops Rev3 smocks and tell them to toss the camera cable over their shoulders.

What are the specs on that video server you have? Who makes it again?

A server story that you might like. Company X moved into a new facility, they replaced VTRs with servers. There is an interview that is needed to be recorded, the host is in studio, guest is remote. The producer wants three records done, host iso, guest iso and control room switched program. The tape ops, not 100% up to speed with their new servers lost everything but the studio host iso. I was not involved, a friend told me. (It was an interview that was almost impossible to redo, not sure if they even tried.)

[bsg]

First: As an editor, I don't think I can thank you enough for the fantastic organizational job you've done in that studio. I have been in so many studios that were more work to edit in than the convenience half of the machines afforded me.

Second: Dave, I've always seen you as somewhat awkward and bumbly (considering you're not a show host, I really wouldn't expect much anyway), but this was some of your best work. I admire you for your genius and foresight on this entire thing. I'm one of your biggest critics on audio, and I feel good knowing that you don't just shrug off our comments.

This was quite obviously the most well produced, informative, and paced production Rev3 has ever put on. While the content may be narrower than something like Diggnation, the entire value of the piece was phenomenal. I have an amazing newfound respect for a company I only admired before. We truly are lucky to have this kind of a force behind a free medium of information.

[drandolph]

Dave, what are you using for graphics? Duet? Viz? Photoshop pages over chroma key green or blue? A ute for every camera... I understand if you were using handhelds but from where I came from we never bothered. Heck, get the camera ops Rev3 smocks and tell them to toss the camera cable over their shoulders.

What are the specs on that video server you have? Who makes it again?

A server story that you might like. Company X moved into a new facility, they replaced VTRs with servers. There is an interview that is needed to be recorded, the host is in studio, guest is remote. The producer wants three records done, host iso, guest iso and control room switched program. The tape ops, not 100% up to speed with their new servers lost everything but the studio host iso. I was not involved, a friend told me. (It was an interview that was almost impossible to redo, not sure if they even tried.)

Well as you can imagine since we are full HD and a graphics system would cost a mint we are still evaluating systems. I'm a Deko guy myself but I also like the Lyric software. To bad both systems are way out of the price range. So I'm talking to other companies that need help developing their products in order to get a deal and find something that works.

With some shows the cameras might have to swing around the entire stage to set up for the next shot so my hope is to have at least one util for all the cameras if that happens.

The server we are using is the softmetal server from Ross Video.
http://www.rossvideo.com/video_servers/softmetal_overview.html

Not bad, the software is very young but I've meet with the lead developer and he has some amazing additions coming for the server. Not to mention that he is adding most of my feature request to it. Can't tell you what they are (you know secrets) but its very exciting for this product.

[mikec]

Dave, one of my graphics people recently told me that Avid killed the Deko line. She told me that NBC is going back to the Duet for some things.

Have you looked at Chyron MicroX?

You do know that many people use an SD Duet and upconvert the output. They build everything in 16x9 525 but the output is bumped up to either 1080i or 720p.

Another server... just what my overtaxed brain needs. How many audio channels does the Ross have? How is is it to copy clips from one frame to another? I think EVS has done a great job with that on their boxes. Of course, the cost is a little different with their hardware.

[vash]

Wow....I'm so glad I'm interning at a radio station instead right now lol. That's a crap ton of buttons I noticed in the studio everywhere. Yay for buttons! Anyhowsers, this episode just wowed me in the effect to see how well the studio has come just within the last year. That's astounding to me. Definitely informative. It was interesting to see how you adapted things as things went along.

[spiri]

Wow this was awesome! A really great episode. I'm not much into video production, but it was still super cool to get a look at the Rev3 facilities!

[chrisnaz]

I am not a big poster, but wanted to say what a great episode. If Revision3 sticks to its roots it can become huge and be the next TechTV (not g4, bleh) and these kinda shows would be like archives looking back on how it started, im high though

[recoil24]

I really liked the format and the content for Episode 11, its great to see the work thats goes on like that, only problem I had was the interviewers audio in the last segment but apart from that good job..Liked that alot.
Dugg from the UK ;)

[crumbles]

...only problem I had was the interviewers audio in the last segment but apart from that good job...I guess you didn't catch it, but Dave talked about that part during the interview. They knew it was going to sound bad, but they went forward with it anyway since they felt this was the type of show we wanted. He was right. It was fine the way they did it.

[recoil24]

Its cool just I have problems hearing.Next thing I'd like is subtitles :)

[skartel]

Am I the only person that noticed the Digg Reel thing? What's that?

Are the Digg guys bent on creating a media empire? Who knows. But the mini-Murdochs behind Digg and Revision3 ? that is, Kevin Rose and Jay Adelman ? have launched a TV show called The Digg Reel, featuring the top videos submitted to Digg. It?s hosted by Jessica Corbin.

http://mathewingram.disqus.com/the_digg_reel_tv_meets_lolcatz/

[stephan]

First of all: THIS IS what the gazzette should be, or at least have a lot more of. I really want to see more behind the scenes from the perspective of a technical person like Dave. Gimme more!!

The Cameraman just needs to pull focus more reliably, and steady the shot a little bit.

Ok David, but let's be honest: iMovie is horrible. Worse, any of you out there that learn how to edit using iMovie are learning wrong.

I learned on the Steenbeck, myself, so I'm the old crotchity guy about this sort of thing, but at least Avid and FCP make sense to me.
[...]
Anyway, to all you would-be web broadcasters out there, let me recommend one thing that David didn't mention: SOUND. In my opinion, you can make mediocre content 100X better if you pay attention to sound. My first investment, before a light kit, would be a good wired or wireless lapel kit and maybe a radio shack mini mixing board. It makes bad video look good, trust me.

-Jay
I agree with you on iMovie for most part, but the 08 is pretty good for rough-editing of a ton of material, then export to FCP. But thats it.

I do, however, diasgree strongly with you on the radioshak mixer! I used to use a mixer, not the best, for taping a performance with Beyerdynamic condenser mics, and the mixer added quite a bit of noise to it. If you do get a mixer, stay away form cheapo brands, spend some money on one with good, quite pre amps, noise is heard much better in a recording than live through speakers, and if the level is too soft, fixing it in post will also increase the noise, trust me, I had a wireless mic (AKG) go off during taping, and the sound for both hosts went through one's sennheiser, I found out about it during editing, despite monitoring audio. The Sennheiser ew Series, same as you are using in the studio never let me down so far.

[jay]

I do, however, diasgree strongly with you on the radioshak mixer! I used to use a mixer, not the best, for taping a performance with Beyerdynamic condenser mics, and the mixer added quite a bit of noise to it. If you do get a mixer, stay away form cheapo brands, spend some money on one with good, quite pre amps, noise is heard much better in a recording than live through speakers, and if the level is too soft, fixing it in post will also increase the noise, trust me, I had a wireless mic (AKG) go off during taping, and the sound for both hosts went through one's sennheiser, I found out about it during editing, despite monitoring audio. The Sennheiser ew Series, same as you are using in the studio never let me down so far.

Actually, you're preaching to the choir on this. I apologize for the radioshack reference...My point was more that you should CARE in the first place. Start with that... So many budding web producers fail at audio so bad with on-camera mics and no thought to sound that it ruins the experience.

I love that you're mentioning these brands... I'll tell you the truth, however... When I first started, I didn't use a mixer at all, other than the ones on the camera.

Ok, that's not entirely true... When I first started, I had to use a mixer, I believe it was a Senn actually, because I was recording crystal sync sound using a single track Nagra, and I had multiple sources. Yes, I said Nagra. Does anyone even know what a Nagra is anymore?

Anyway, we all make sound mistakes. Hell, I destroyed a major San Francisco post production facility's magna sync transfer room all by myself. Spent hours with screw drivers and oscilloscopes adjusting azimuths. Revision3 will continue to make them as well...

Though David says in this episode Diggnation is just two guys on a couch drinking beer, I can't tell you how many Diggnation knock-off's I've viewed where the two people on the couch sound like they are in an echo chamber. It makes me want to crawl under my chair, particularly when the two people involved are good at it and are destroyed by the cheapness of the sound output.

FWIW, I've gotten the high level (CEOs are forbidden by law to get technical) tour of the control room and I have to agree... I've never seen anything like it. I'm sure Revision3 will arrange tours at some point...First they have to finish the final tweaks and start using it, though!

-Jay

[dumbunny07]

Wow!!great show Dave,just one thing about the camera work though,During the first 3/4 of the show i thought i was on a roller coaster and getting sea-sick at the same time.Who was running the camera?hope it wasn`t Roger. Keep up the good work Dave.

[killerb]

Quick question, would you still recommend the Canon HV20 over the Sony Handycam HDR-SR7 or HDR-CX7?

[mrpopular]

DRandolph FTW. (need i say more?)

This is such an awesome show.

[spiri]

Who was running the camera?hope it wasn`t Roger.
Dave started out by saying "[...] so me and Glenn went ahead and stole the camera [...]", so my guess would be that it's Glenn :)

[stephan]

Actually, you're preaching to the choir on this. I apologize for the radioshack reference...My point was more that you should CARE in the first place. Start with that... So many budding web producers fail at audio so bad with on-camera mics and no thought to sound that it ruins the experience.

I love that you're mentioning these brands... I'll tell you the truth, however... When I first started, I didn't use a mixer at all, other than the ones on the camera.
For 99% of what I shoot I don't use a mixer, just mics, either external on camera or handheld. But when there is a more sophisticated setup, I try to get the best avail. mixer. A camera with manual levels is much more important.

[mikec]

Yes, I said Nagra. Does anyone even know what a Nagra is anymore?


Gee Jay, you don't LOOK 50 years old. I have never had to use a Nagra, I have always been involved in video production, no film for me but I have heard of them.

A question for either Jay or Dave, any thought on closed captioning? There are hearing impaired who would like to watch your content but can't because of the lack of CC. Trust me, trying to get content while having to rewind and listen to a show repeatedly is very hard.

[ky_lab-rat]

Let echo some of the sentiment of the other other posters here. I truly do have a new refound respect for you Dave!! I thought you where technical seeing your work on Systm. But, after seeing this episode of R3G I would almost put you to Super Geek level. I know from personal experience how hard it is to stay ahead of one technology as a career and another as a hobby. Which is what I thought maybe you where doing with some of the Systm stuff with diving into programing and hacking things. But to know how involved you are in broadcasting and computer tech amazes me! Let me tip my hat to you from one geek to another.. You have created a very impressive monster with that Rev 3 studio. As someone that designs data-centers I truly appreciate the clean wiring and extended use of patch panels!

Let me say you have profected the clark kent to super geek man persona! I also kind of thought you might be a little bumbly at times. But, you just blew image that right out of the water! Good work!

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

It would also be nice to maybe do something like this for the DataCenter of Rev3 and/or Digg. I'm sure some of the other IT guys like me would appreciate it.

[jay]

Gee Jay, you don't LOOK 50 years old. I have never had to use a Nagra, I have always been involved in video production, no film for me but I have heard of them.

A question for either Jay or Dave, any thought on closed captioning? There are hearing impaired who would like to watch your content but can't because of the lack of CC. Trust me, trying to get content while having to rewind and listen to a show repeatedly is very hard.

That's because I'M NOT 50 years old. What happened was I ended up being the "last class," as they say, who had to learn that stuff. The first Avid systems were being ordered as I graduated from film school.

Still, to work at that time (early 90's), you used stuff like Nagras. About two years of using them, the first DATs were getting pushed around as alternatives for film sound.

If you worked with Betacam, which was totally available long before I started work, you didn't need Nagras. However, most of the stuff I liked to do was film work (16/35) so you needed external sound systems.

Of course, if I was starting now, I'd probably focus on video production. The nice thing about learning the film side, however, is that editing forces you to learn certain habits that help in the understanding of semiotics/etc.

[smes]

Wow! What a fantastic episode! Reminds me of all the summers that I've worked in Theatre as a stagehand, and light operator.

And Dave you are correct safety cables are key especially if you live on the coast. I went into work one day to find two of the movers (really heavy light that can be moved remotley) in the theater dangling from their safety cables because some idiot hadn't tightened them enough to withstand minor trembles (which are frequent on the coast of BC).

[fernandez]

fantastic episode, one of the best yet i think

my only additional comment for improvement would be i'd love to see a womans touch to it, but for straight up knowledge that was fantastic

kudos dave

[xtsquintx]

This was a great episode, I'm a videographer/editor myself, and it was awesome to be able to "follow along" with everything (apposed to watching an episode of Systm, because I don't know a lot about hardcore computer programming and stuff like that).

And I came from the same background as you did Jay, Nagra audio, cutting on Steenbecks and Moviola flatbed editors; I really miss it those days. Does anyone remember the original Media 100? That was my first NLE platform and I thought it was the greatest thing, and got so pissed off when my school switched everything over to Avid, lol. Apparently they have version 12 out now and it does HD and all that; I thought they went out of business awhile ago.

[jeffyjones]

Neat, and a little surprising, to see a Web-based production outfit behind the scenes. It's awesome what a half-million can buy these days.

That said, the challenge is frankly something that municipalities and school districts have been doing for decades now. Once I realized radio sucked to work in, and before I changed over to Web programmer, I built and ran a government/school access facility for several years. I had to start out with $100k, and in the following years only had $20k annually. And we didn't have studio space either because it was going to be built in the next school they built.

So we racked up everything we could in Anvil cases, including those heavy-ass CRT's. It looked like this from the front...

http://www.campusfish.com/gallery.aspx?album=105&item=3327

There are actually audio and video DA's in there, two CCU's, a framesync (for a third camera), two tape machines, intercom and IFB, a monitor-based waveform and vectorscope (why did it take so long for someone to think of those?), a little switcher, mixer and some cheap CG.

And from the back, because every TV monkey appreciates good wiring:

http://www.campusfish.com/gallery.aspx?album=105&item=3328

I really think that for any talking heads show, which is most of what Rev3's studio stuff is, you only really need one person on the floor and perhaps two in the control room. That's the problem with giant mixing consoles is that you can't let the TD also be the audio person.

Regardless, that's cool to see. Inspires me to do something with the gear I have but don't use that much. I have an HVX200 because I'm a dork, early adopter and some day want to put a simple screen play online. Oh how I miss live production though, especially in the field.

[rowlodge]

half a million dollars is a lot of money, to think it all started from one cam and two guys on a couch.

hey jay, long time no see, i thought you quietly left the show for awhile, where were you south america ?

[frankiethewaffle]

Someone said it first but I will reiterate. Holy Crap!

This is my kind of thing. I listen to audio commentaries and watch the behind the scenes on DVDs.

This was great. I know Randolph is smart but to build that studio to do most if not all of a studio that costs ten times more, that's impressive!

I have done a little bit of video production. (I co produced a pro wrestling show in Fla. years ago.) We used the facilities of the local Fox station. I thought we knew quite a bit. I had no idea how much their guy was doing until now.

It made the possibility of producing a web based show scary, but I love how Rev3 dumps all of the info possible to answer questions before they are asked. Nice.

[smes]

Did I see a logo for a new show next to TekZilla on one of the monitors? Digg Central it looked like..

[smes]

"Dig Reel" rather. Check the attachment.

[nextgenxbox]

Did I see a logo for a new show next to TekZilla on one of the monitors? Digg Central it looked like..

Yes. It was discussed already.

[bonsai]

Wow. Best. Episode. Ever.

Now THIS is what this show should be about. A detailed "behind the scenes" and cameos from folks including Ron from iFanBoy.

Now we see why Mr. Randolph is "lead engineer".

Very Cool. Much love. Even enough love to forget about the out-sourced episode #10 musical non-sense. Episode #10? What episode 10.

^__^

[bohica28]

I am a high school student and am currently taking a Video Production class that we have at our school.

I showed my teacher this video and he loved it.

Its very informative and shows exactly how a real studio works.

Awesome stuff.

Love all the gazette videos! Keep it up!


~Paul

[andreparris]

Did Dave explain the difference between a studio and a stage? Can anyone summarize in 100 words or more :)

[mad0214]

What's the name of the cart program you are using. I was only aware of megaseg and soundbyte on OS X.

[drandolph]

Did Dave explain the difference between a studio and a stage? Can anyone summarize in 100 words or more :)

A stage is just a room with lights and a floor.
A studio has the lights/floor/scene shop/green room/control room with all the gear you saw in the video.

A stage is where you shoot stuff to tape and edit it later.
A studio is where you can do everything in real time. ie "live" or "live to tape"

[drandolph]

What's the name of the cart program you are using. I was only aware of megaseg and soundbyte on OS X.

http://softronmedia.com/products/products/otas.html

[parthurs]

I loved this episode.. and Dave... tuck in your shirt :)

[joey85]

I loved this episode.. and Dave... tuck in your shirt :)

Ha, I also noticed that. But who cares we're not the fashion police. :p

[daikun]

OMG your right, well that sucks, guess that means people on PC's have to use movie maker or shell out some cash for premiere or avid xpress dv.

Or we can use VideoSpin. (http://www.videospin.com) It's a freeware alternative to the crappy WMM.

[nextgenxbox]

If people are serious about editing then they should get Avid, Premiere, or Final Cut.

[rikki]

First time ive ever watched this, found it on Doggdot.us and thought "yeah ok".

So glad I did, that was the most informative thing I had seen in years, I'd say even better than Leo's GMT pod/vidcasts last summer

I've got a HV20, 35mm adapter, Rode Videomic, a pair of Audio Technica ATR35r lav mics and a Zoom H2 and this year Im going to try and get creative.

This one show has given me such inspiration to get my finger out and do something useful!

Thank you!

Rik

[nextgenxbox]

First time ive ever watched this, found it on Doggdot.us and thought "yeah ok".

So glad I did, that was the most informative thing I had seen in years, I'd say even better than Leo's GMT pod/vidcasts last summer

I've got a HV20, 35mm adapter, Rode Videomic, a pair of Audio Technica ATR35r lav mics and a Zoom H2 and this year Im going to try and get creative.

This one show has given me such inspiration to get my finger out and do something useful!

Thank you!

Rik

Hey awesome. In case you didn't read the other pages, I too own the HV20 and Rode Videomic.

What 35mm adapter are you using?

And for the Zoom H2... do you just plug in a mic and record your audio to that and then sync it to picture when you're editing?

[hrvat]

great episode!

[varunkshenoy]

All Hail the Super Geek Man! Dave Randolph!

Loved the episode.

[rikki]

Hey awesome. In case you didn't read the other pages, I too own the HV20 and Rode Videomic.

What 35mm adapter are you using?

And for the Zoom H2... do you just plug in a mic and record your audio to that and then sync it to picture when you're editing?


Hi mate, I've only used the Zoom a few times and using a sharp noise (finger click usually) sync it to the audio feed on the HV20 in Vegas.

The 35mm adapter was made by a guy in Canada called twoneil, Ive got it attached to a 1960's Nikkor 50mm f1.4 manual lens for max light and DOF.

Dont want to drag this excellent topic too far into the red so feel free to PM me or jump onto hv20.com where me and loads of other HV20 owners roam free and discuss 35mm adapters and everything else :D

[tm204]

This was a great episode, once the studio is up and running more backstage stuff would be great.

I do agree that lighting is one of the last things you need and content is the most important but I work in theatrical lighting so here are a couple things to consider.

1. Color temperature of light. Different light sources burn at a different color temperature. The hight the temperature the bluer the light and the lower the temperature the light is more amber. The sun has a high color temperature and a household lamp has a low color temperature. So if you video is looks really amber your camera is set to too high a color temperature, simply re white balance your camera or change it to an indoor or incandescent setting.

2. Back light. If you are going to use lights they serve two purposes, to see the talents face and second to make them look 3d and not flat. To do this shine lights from above and behind the performer this will give that nice glow on the shoulders and head to make them look more dimensional.

When you get to that point, to me good lighting, increases the production value exponentially.

[darknessgp]

I love the fact that this episode felt like we were being included on a tour of the new studio that was already going to be taking place. I like the fact that our excellent host was excited to show us the studio, and that he kind of geeked out over some things. I like the fact that you also stayed on target. The episode was about the studio, and as such there wasn't anything that took it off of that, even though Martin made an appearance, he didn't do what, IMO, he normally does which is derail good content with his own, which is very much an acquired taste.

[nextgenxbox]

Dont want to drag this excellent topic too far into the red so feel free to PM me or jump onto hv20.com where me and loads of other HV20 owners roam free and discuss 35mm adapters and everything else :D

I'm actually already a member of HV20.com -- Great forum with lots of great people, just like Rev3.

[jonspence]

Wow, great episode. I went to school for a television and digital media production degree, and this studio totally out does the one we used.

I would love to see more of the technical stuff, like wave form monitors and vectorscopes and stuff.


And I hope you get a good light board, can't imagine just having an on/off switch there.

I always loved Avid. Too bad the free version is no more.

[mkalamas]

Great show Dave. Very informative. That was the tour I have been waiting for.

Can't wait till Rev3 starts pumping out more awesome shows in the new studio.

[glugory]

Rev3 is just being silly now. They've gone back and re-edited the episode to take out the short look at The Digg Reel logo. Spread the word! http://digg.com/tech_news/New_Revision3_show_The_Digg_Reel

[joesixpack]

That was a great show, and it made it clear that Rev 3 is willing to spend money to get talented people, and is willing to provide the support they need to put out great shows.

I think some of this stuff is ready for prime time. And they don't need writers.

I know, this sounds like ass kissing, but this site has the best internet viewing that I have been able to find, and I look.

[cobra1971]

Is there a way to see a behind the scenes of Tekzilla or another show? It could be from the beginning (where you come up with the ideas for the episode) to the end (where the video production is done). That would be cool.


Definetely a good idea ... something along the lines of all the pre-planning that goes into an episode, all the way through the hosting it to the servers. That would be great!!

BTW -- Great Job Dave!!! Excellent show.

[moe29]

Rev 3 is lucky to have Mr. Randolph. Great show.

[yuro]

Dave,

Quick question, does that Touchscreen dell monitor (you can see this at 13:15) need any special software or drivers to work with OS X? Or is it as simple as plug and play?

Cheers! Wicked episode! Behind the scenes stuff is actually very informative!

[spamdigger]

Excellent show... love the behind the scenes stuff. I thought I new my way around A/V... but I don't know shit compared to Dave... awesome.

[rockyrobins]

That is one solid looking studio. I love it when all the gear's new, still new enough you can smell it! And it's just beggin to be used.
I like the design of the rack in the studio, all nice and integrated. Wish I could get my hands on a Ross switcher like that, with the server tied-in it's probably very sweet and simple to work, not to mention good bang for the buck. And, on a budget, you can't really go too wrong with that Mackie board.
How do you like those JVC cameras? After compressing for the net and watching on a PC looks like they do the job ok. I've been trying to figure out which way to go upgrading to HD in a studio with 2/3" Sony DXC-30's, and money's always an issue. Plus, everthing else is still analog! Must be nice starting from scratch/
It will be interesting to see which way you go for a CG. Deko's and Chyron's are so dang expensive! I'd love to see someone hack together a couple of PS3's or XBOX360's with a framesync and some solid CG software. Those things have so much dang horsepower in them, I bet they could make a killer live CG for little $$ compared to Chyron's and such. Or, I'm dreaming.

Of course, in post Photoshop or some Motion and Live Type do pretty good for the $$, but someone needs to come out with an affordable killer live CG in HD land.

Anyway, SWEET studio, and if you need freelancers... ;-)
-Rocky

[milnoc]

Great presentation Dave! And your timing was perfect since I'm currently working on launching my national public access television channel here in Canada, a channel that'll be available on digital cable and DTH satellite as well as Free-To-Air C-Band satellite and on the Internet via BitTorrent.

I wasn't planning to build a studio just yet ($500,000? Yikes!) But as you've said, one of your most popular shows involves two guys sitting on a couch, drinking beer and taking about what they found on the Internet! :) And that's how my channel will work at first. The content providers will have to submit pre-edited material until the day I can afford to build small recording studios similar to yours as well as editing suites.

I'm creating content for demonstration purposes on my YouTube channel ( http://www.youtube.com/TheCanadianPublic ) until the actual TV channel is officially on the air. And just like others here, I've kept it simple but used quality components. The Fujitsu U810 review I've produced was recorded using a Canon HV20 mounted on an old tripod. The lighting was provided by four clamp-on lamps loaded with compact fluorescent bulbs. The narration was recorded using a Shure C606 karaoke microphone I found for $40. The entire thing was edited together with a trial version of Sony Vegas Platinum.

Dave, you've given us a fantastic presentation! I may not understand all the technical jargon just yet, but you've given us all precious information on what's required to build a professional studio! Thanks!

[msbeckma]

I know everyone is saying that RV3G should be turned into something like what was seen in this episode. I think instead that a new show needs to be made for all of this stuff. Let the Gazette stay what it is. I know there is plenty of people that would be interested in watching some more of what was seen on episode 11. There are plenty of us video nerds that would love to watch some more of Dave Randolph's ramblings. Dave could have some video tips for everything from editing, shooting, & equipment reviews. If you think a show like this would be cool, let Revision3 know that you are interested in it. Think PixelPerfect, but for video.

Dave, where did you go to school for, and what did you major in? Also would you be interested in doing a show for Revision3 like that? Thanks for the great video Dave, I know a lot of people really liked it.

-Matt Beckman

[drandolph]

Dave,

Quick question, does that Touchscreen dell monitor (you can see this at 13:15) need any special software or drivers to work with OS X? Or is it as simple as plug and play?

Cheers! Wicked episode! Behind the scenes stuff is actually very informative!

Well its hard to find a good touch screen that will work on osx but i found the dell monitor with drivers from this company works just fine. http://www.elotouch.com/Support/Downloads/dnld.asp

[jc-magnus]

This is what I wanted to see from the Rev3 Gazette. I am going into college to study in TV/Film (starting in two weeks), so everything about this episode interested me.

Looking forward to seeing the new studio in action! :)

[m3wse]

Just a thought, but I know when you do systm, for example, you screw up a lot, are you just hoping noone will screw up when you do live to tape, or do you plan some post production cleanup?

[ediktid]

nice glassjaw shirt dude.

[crater]

I'd have to say pretty much my favorite episode, tied up with behind the scenes of infected.

[kronos6948]

Awesome job, Dave. Really insightful into the world of video production. So far, it seems like every show you're on is something that really holds my attention.

[chuckles]

He did do a good job... :) Randolph for Assistant to the Vice-Mayor of San Francisco..

-chuckles-

[mavrevmatt]

Haven't logged in for a while, but just wanted to say damn that was a good episode. There needs to be more like it, the technical side is what's great.

[shinku]

Awesome awesome awesome. More of this please, it's probably one of the best videos Rev3 has ever kicked out. Probably the best thing I've seen Dave do too, much better than the Dave we see on Systm.

[ddreier]

I know everyone is saying that RV3G should be turned into something like what was seen in this episode. I think instead that a new show needs to be made for all of this stuff. Let the Gazette stay what it is. I know there is plenty of people that would be interested in watching some more of what was seen on episode 11. There are plenty of us video nerds that would love to watch some more of Dave Randolph's ramblings. Dave could have some video tips for everything from editing, shooting, & equipment reviews. If you think a show like this would be cool, let Revision3 know that you are interested in it. Think PixelPerfect, but for video.

Dave, where did you go to school for, and what did you major in? Also would you be interested in doing a show for Revision3 like that? Thanks for the great video Dave, I know a lot of people really liked it.

-Matt Beckman

Absolutely brilliant idea!

I'm a freshman in High School, looking a Broadcast/TV as a career option. I currently run video production for two services at the church I attend. We use MediaShout and a MXPro DV switcher for 'live' stuff and Sony Vegas 6 for editing, and After Effects for some other stuff too.

This episode was truly inspiring, and I'd love to see much more content like this.

[amacguy]

I like the technical look behind the scenes! However, the light that Dave called a gobo is actually called an ellipsoidal. You can use them to project gobos (non-technical term) or patterns (technical term). Just thought you should know. I hope you guys get a light board and dimmer pack soon...it'll add a lot to your production value.

[darknessgp]

I like the technical look behind the scenes! However, the light that Dave called a gobo is actually called an ellipsoidal. You can use them to project gobos (non-technical term) or patterns (technical term). Just thought you should know. I hope you guys get a light board and dimmer pack soon...it'll add a lot to your production value.

that has already been covered... and apparently Dave called it that because he knows others at Rev3 will and are calling it. Perhaps because they can't grasp the concept that it is an ellipsoidal and you put gobos in it? idk, seems odd but hell as long as the person you're talking to grabs the right thing when you want an ellipsodial, even if you have to call it a gobo.

[jayunsplanet]

This was probably the most interesting and enjoyable video I've watched online this year... And I've seen a lot. If I wasn't in IT, it'd without a doubt love to work in production/theater.

[anillusion]

I also loved this episode. I love the fact that you recorded the actual walkthough with your crew and not rerecord it 'for the kids'.

To me it reminded me of the things I did in the past at our local tv-station and the work I now do annually for a local cultural festival, although your studio looks like high budget in comparison. We had a (2nd hand, self built, donated) teleprompter, but it was just the prompter. So I wrote the teleprompter software myself using Macromedia Director (only thing I knew at the time). Dunno, maybe it could have kept your whole studio-operation mac-based if you wrote it yourself. I mean in the end it's just auto-scrolling text with speed-control.

[emailgeraint]

Hi, there. Brill video of behind the scene's of the new studio. I was just wondering what software are you using for your digicart system.

Thanks.
Geraint.

[-daines]

Just a thought, but I know when you do systm, for example, you screw up a lot, are you just hoping noone will screw up when you do live to tape, or do you plan some post production cleanup?

Keep in mind that when you're doing live to tape it's not the same as live on air, you can still do multiple takes. Granted if you are doing true live to tape you would have to run the switcher, CG, etc again each time you do a new take. To avoid this problem you can capture your video from the camera separate from all your control room equipment, then you can just re-shoot your anchors and overlay the graphics in post production. That being said I much prefer just shooting and editing everything in post production (Final Cut is what I use), yes this takes more time and it's as convenient if you need to do re-shoots but the amount of control (in my opinion) is greater and you don't need as many people in the control room (less chance for screw up, etc).

[tprime]

Great episode, so good I watched it twice hah. I'm in college right now for broadcasting, and seeing all that equipment made me swoon. I wish I lived in the San Francisco area so I could intern for Rev3!

[m3wse]

Great episode, so good I watched it twice hah. I'm in college right now for broadcasting, and seeing all that equipment made me swoon. I wish I lived in the San Francisco area so I could intern for Rev3!

oh yea, I agree with every bit of that. I think I have watched it 4 times now...

[wakachamo]

Can anybody tell me the name of the opening tune on this episode? Many thanks in advance, guys.

EDIT: OOps, wrong thread. Sorry.. XD