The Dancing Matt Videos

Published On: 07/13/12 12:07:49 PM

CreativePlanetNetwork

The New York Times talks to Matt Harding, the video game designer turned viral video star, whose "Where the Hell Is Matt?" dance/travel video, and its sequels, have become some of YouTube's most popular videos.


In his latest exuberant installment, Harding is dancing with mobs of people all across the world, blending traditional dances with off-the-cuff group choreography. He explains, "The choreography was about 50 percent taught to me by the other dancers and 50 percent stuff I either brought to them or made up in the hotel that morning. I was starting from absolute zero as a dancer, so I worked with a choreographer here in Seattle named Aiko Kinoshita and another in Los Angeles. You might know of Trish Sie from OK Go’s treadmill video and other stuff they’ve done. She drilled into me the importance of keeping it spontaneous and not trying to bring in a rigid dance routine."

Canon's Professional Camcorders XF100, XF300, XFC305

Canon's line of professional Camcorders in the sub $10,000 range feature a proprietary XF codec that allows shooting at 50Mbps 1080 60p with a 4:2:2 color sampling. Compariable Sony and Panasonic models shoot at 28 Mbps with a 4:2:0 color sampling.

The Canon records to more expensive CF cards vs SDHC cards.

Canon XF 100 Product Highlights


Canon XF 100

Price $3,000 as of 7/15/2012
(per BH Photo)

• 1/3" CMOS Sensor
• 50Mbps MPEG-2 Recording
• 4:2:2 Color Sampling
• 60p/60i, 30p, 24p
• MXF File Format
• Dual CF Card Slots
• 10x HD Zoom Lens
• Multiple Bit Rates & Resolutions
• Dual XLR Inputs
• HDMI, Component, Composite Outputs

Lense 10x
The lower end XF100 has great specs, but only a 10x zoom. The camera does have a built in 1.5x telephoto feature. The following video clip demonstrates this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgDoCjwEHTw

How does this camera compare to the SONY NX70? - See this review:
http://www.hdwarrior.co.uk/2012/01/27/review-of-the-canon-xf100-v-sonys-nx70/

Canon's higher end XF 300 and 305 cameras are more expensive but have larger zoom lenses at 18x.

Compatible CF cards according the HD Warrior

Canon XF 300

Canon XF 300
Price $6,000 as of 7/15/12
(per BH Photo)

Canon XF 300 Product Highlights

• 3 Native 1920 x 1080 CMOS Sensors
• 50Mbps MPEG-2 Recording
• 4:2:2 Color Sampling
• 60p/60i, 30p, 24p
• MXF File Format
• Dual CF Card Slots
• 18x HD L-Series Zoom
• Multiple Bit Rates, Resolutions
• Dual XLR Inputs
• HDMI, Component, Composite Outputs

How does the XF 100 compare to the XF 300? According to a review on Amazon by Tom Gimble, very well. The XF 100 is smaller, lighter and is great for using a monopod. So if you have to move around alot, it may be suitable vs the XF 300. However, the XF 300 has a longer lense (18x vs 10x) and has a much better viewfinder. According to Tom the XF 100 viewfinder leaves a lot to be desired. This was also mentioned by HD Warrior's review.

Tom's very informative written review is located on Amazon here.

Sony NEX-VG20H Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam Camcorder

"Sony's NEX-VG10 and NEX-VG20 camcorders bring another revolution in independent filmmaking, offering an incredibly low price point for its feature set. We've wanted a shalllow depth-of-field, interchangeable lens and larger sensor for low-budget filmmaking." - Sony NEX-VG20 User Group
https://vimeo.com/groups/nexvg20


Sony NEX-VG20 from B&H Photo Video on Vimeo.




Sony NEX-VG20 Promotional Video [HD 1080p] from H. Paul Moon on Vimeo.


Sony NEX-VG20 Lens and Audio Tests [HD 1080p] from H. Paul Moon on Vimeo.

Owners manual: http://nexvg20.info/NEXVG20_manual.pdf

Recording rate:
1920 x 1080 @ 60p/24p/60i (PS/FX/FH); PS: 28 Mb/s; FX: 24 Mb/s; FH: 17 Mb/s
1440 x 1080 @ 60i (HQ); HQ: 9 Mb/s

Review:
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sony-Handycam-NEX-VG20-Camcorder-Review.htm

Sony HXR-NX70U NXCAM

Sony HXR-NX70U

Price: $2,799.00
Mail In Rebate $300.00 (see details)
offer ends SEP 30 '12 
Price after Rebate: $2,499.00

Price from BH Photo

The NX70 features 1920x1080 60P full HD recording at 28Mbps. The new PS mode with a 28Mbps recording bit-rate enables the HXR-NX70U to capture full HD at 60P. Its full HD 1920x1080 recordings can be slowed down too 24P during post production for beautiful 2.5 slow motion.

User Group: https://vimeo.com/groups/nx70/forum/topic:242386

Click for Sony Brochure

Image Device	1/2.88" ExmorR CMOS with ClearVid pixel array
PS (28 Mbps) 1920 x 1080/60p FX (24 Mbps) 1920 x 1080/60i FH (17 Mbps) 1920 x 1080/60i HQ (9 Mbps) 1440 x 1080/60i LP (5 Mbps) 1440 x 1080/60i FX (24 Mbps) 1920 x 1080/24p FH (17 Mbps) 1920 x 1080/24p Slow and Quick Motion Function: 200fps (fixed) as Smooth Slow Rec (Picture quality is degraded)
Recording/Playback Time
170 min (Memory Stick 32GB, HD FX, LPCM) 530 min (Internal memory 96GB, HD FX, LPCM)

First Edition

Sony Video featuring 2nd Edition Features. Some of the quirks with the orginal edition have been addressed with the 2nd edition.

Munro Film Production Footage #1 from James Urquhart on Vimeo.

10x lense not enough... Recommended 3x Telephoto: Raynox HDP-7700ES 37mm

Good reveiw on BH Photo's web site:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/761581-REG/Sony_HXR_NX70U_HXR_NX70_Compact_Dust_and.html

Sony HXR NX70 vs Canon XF 100
http://www.hdwarrior.co.uk/2012/01/27/review-of-the-canon-xf100-v-sonys-nx70/

Sony NX 70U as Documentary Camera from john@johnduttonmedia.com on Vimeo.

That video is a good review with more informaiton in his blog here:
http://johnduttonmedia.com/videochannel/?page_id=314

Some recommended NX70 accessories from reviewers:

screw-on ND filters, matte box, remote zoom handle for tripod use

JVC GY-HMQ10 4K Compact Handheld Camcorder

JVC Releases first 4K Video Camera under $10,000.

The groundbreaking JVC GY-HMQ10 4K Compact Handheld Camcorder is a one-of-a-kind camera that employs 4K imaging. It features the Falconbrid high-speed processor for advanced video applications. There's one Falconbrid engine for de-matrixing raw data in real time, while another handles H.264 encoding and formatting into the required MPEG4 format. The GY-HMQ10 uses a single 1/2.3" CMOS 4K sensor, which provides 3840 x 2160 images that are four times the resolution of Full HD cameras and monitors. With single sensor sensitivity, the camera works well over a wide range of lighting conditions. It also simplifies the optical design, which results in more precise images with minimal aberration. Plus, the 3840 x 2160 resolution supports a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio as well.

Understanding Color Sampling

When shopping for a video camera, color sampling is one faucet to consider. When shopping for a camera in July 2012, I noticed Canon touting their 4:2:2 color sampling features and so I wondered how big a deal this was.

In the article, “Understanding Color Sampling” by Barry Green, he states:

“You’ve seen the numbers: 4:2:0, 4:4:4, 3:1:1, 3:1.5:1.5, 4:1:1, 4:2:2… What does it all mean? And how does it affect your video? What’s better, what’s worse, and when does it matter?”

“What those numbers are referring to is a technique in digital video commonly called “color sampling.” The concept can be a bit confusing to those not used to working with video in the digital domain. In video, it’s common practice to not actually record all the color in an image, but rather to average the pixels together to cut down on the bandwidth. Color sampling is, in effect, a form of compression. The more compressed the engineers can make the color channel, the less bandwidth the signal occupies and the easier it is to record, transmit, or broadcast.”

In Barry’s article he does verify that 4:2:2 is much better than the alternatives, so Canon appears to have provided a higher end feature in some of their lower priced cameras.

Source: http://www.dvxuser.com/articles/colorspace/

On Canon's website, they state:

"4:2:2 provides ultra-fine transitions in tone and color and maintains the highest quality image for use in post production processes such as chroma keying, color grading, advanced compositing and effects."
Source: Canon XF 100 web page

The New Camera Search - July 2012

My Canon HV30 has served me well for several years now. I've shot 100s of hours of CPA high school football whereI have been producing the video highlights for the team since 2005.

There are some examples on my Vimeo site: https://vimeo.com/hollyviewvideo
Last year, in 2011, another dad joined in to help volunteer film football. He is a professional and between him and my mentor Clint Regehr of CERVIDEO from Texas, I have learned a great deal on how to improve the quality of my productions.

A few games into the 2011 season I borrowed a friends Sony HDR-FX7 to catch action from the sidelines. The following clip on YouTube features some of that footage. It also features footage from my friends Panasonic HMC40.



If you compare my productions from 2010 - 2011, I think you will notice improvement.

Using that FX7 last year made me realize just how critical a good viewfinder, eyepiece, and 20x lense where. The camera was and HDV tape camera just like my Canon HV30, but the 20x lense was just what I needed to reach out across one sideline to another for some great shots. The Panasonic only had a 12x lense and we all agreed it would be great to have two cameras with long lenses for better coverage.

The last season of my son's high school footbal carreer is coming up fast this fall in 2012. We are planning to produce another footbal DVD this year. This year's video production has to be the best ever.

I don't have access to the FX7 any longer so it high time for a new camera.

To capture the action this season, I really need a good prosumer level camera with at least a 20x lense.

I have always been a Canon fan, but while they came out with several new cameras over the last few years, only the Canon XF 300 has a long lense and its around $6,000.

none of their lower priced cameras came with a 20x lense. The only camera with a 20x lense is the older model, XH-A1s.

In July 2012, I have narrowed down the selection to the following cameras.

Canon XF100 HD	Canon XF 100
Canon XH-A1sThis is an HDV tape camera, but would have everything I need. Its a bit heavy, but I've used one of these before and it produced some great footage. The only problem with this model is that its a tape camera. I am ready for a complete digial workflow without the capture time over firewire.	Canon XH-A1s
Sony HDR-FX7 This is also an HDV tape camera and I shot most of last year's high school football video using one of these that a friend let me borrow. The footage turned out great.	Sony HDR-FX7
Sony HXR-NX5U NXCAM Now this is one that a friend has and he speaks very highly of it. This is completely digital and uses SD card or a 128 GB flash pack for recording. This model is a few years old, but if I had the budget, this one would have been my first choice for quite some time. However, now that Panasonic has released their new models, it has some competiion in the same price range and feature set. So the selection is more difficult. To make matters more difficult, the price on the Sony NXCAM has not come down in several years. So that tells me that it must be a good selling model. Guess I was hoping that the price would have come down by now.	Sony HXR-NX5U NXCAM
Sony HXR-NX70U NXCAM This camera is in a class all by itself Additional write up on one of my other blog posts here: Sony NX70U	Sony HXR-NX70U NXCAM
Panasonic AG-AC160A / AC130A AVCCAM Panasonic has introduced two new cameras that should work great for sports with a 22x lens. The cameras are identical except for some additional features on the 160 over the 130. You'll pay about $1000 more for the 160. But you get features such as 1080 60p and variable frame rate recording. More info in my Panasonic A160 blog post featureing these two cameras. Update 7/29 - This is the one I am going to order. I strongly considerd the Sony NX5, NX70, Canon AF100.	Panasonic AG-AC160A / AC130A AVCCAM

The Canon and Sony HDR-FX7 are older model HDV tape cameras and the rest record to digtial media. I have been shooting with a tape camera for several years and really want to switch to totally digital workflow.

The newer and completely digital recording cameras range from $2,000 to $6,000 and up.

One of the newest Sony cameras even has a built in projector

Sony 96GB HXR-NX30 Palm Size NXCAM
Price from BH Photo $2,000

Sony NEX-VG20

Sony PMW-100

These cameras below, while not idea for fast moving football action or "run and gun" allow DSLR style lenses and functionality in a camcorder format.

Sony NEX-FS100

Sony NEX-FS700

Panasonic AF100