ACM SFBAY Event!

Fantastic topic!
Shoot notes: manual focus works well - I use it with grey-scale viewfinder and focus peaking.  G3 lavalier works well.  I should be more upfront with speakers about the need to face audience and not the screen.
Post production notes: audio requires de-essing.   Free VST plugin which works in Sony Vegas is SpitFish.  And it works!
Here is the finished clip:

YouTube Live Streaming Proposal - Minimalistic Scenario

Here is a proposal on how a non-profit can start putting their events on YouTube with no recurring costs.  I start with a simple talking slide show, which can be rolled out by a single volunteer producer.  When and if the production team grows, production values can be improved upon dramatically.  Consult this post for introduction and terminology.

Panasonic GH4 HDMI Timings

During my last event video streaming test I ran again into this problem.  I have Panasonic GH4 recording at 4K 23.98fps, GH3 and Canon HF G10 recording at 1080p 23.98fps.  Their HDMI output timings differ though.  GH3 and G10 produce 1080i 59.94.  GH3 output is 1080p 23.98.

So I asked myself what would it take for GH4 to produce 1080i 59.94 signal on its HDMI output.

Choosing a Live Video Streaming Service

I was asked to recommend a live video streaming service.  Here is my attempt to answer that question.  It was at least a year since I reviewed live video streaming offerings.  I have direct experience with  Ustream and YouTube Live and grew to like Telestream Wirecast (OEM version of which is) used in both.  I was intrigued with what I learned...

ACM event @ eBay!

Having a blast shooting another ACM event!
Finished clip:

Tip: Panasonic GH4 Video Import into Sony Vegas

In short:

• use Keyboard accelerator Alt+]
• use Sony Vegas ripple and shuffle

TheaterYou production of Pamela

Fantastic performance!  Huge challenge from technical perspective - light color and amount change constantly and unpredictably.  I was lucky enough to work with a director who cares a lot about video production of his play - Val Konovich was directly involved in multi-track edit of the entire recording.  Theater crew was extremely helpful and patient with me, for which I am deeply grateful.  Overall I think this was the best performance I have seen in this theater.

What worked:

• I set in advance white balance and exposure using a calibration target.
• Central camera (GH4) was attached to a column using superclamp and was shooting in 4K which allowed for a clean zoom-in in post.
• I tested new workflow.  Instead of MainConcept MP4 codec I used x264 via DNxHD.  These instructions helped. Almost forgot to correct levels.  x264 seems to be superior for low bitrates (under 10MBps).  I looked into YouTube recommendations and decided on a 2-pass encoding.
• Sony PCM-M10 did the job.  I considered use of Tascam 60DmarkII but found no extra microphones.

What did not work

• GH4 ran out of juice!  This was somewhat unexpected because GH3 runs on a single battery for hours.  I should have turned of LCD, but the camera was positioned so that I could not see the controls.  Note to self: change GH4 battery during the intermission!
• I was shooting GH3 on a tripod set at the top of the bleachers.  Those proved to be noticeably shaky.
• Color matching cameras is still a challenge for me.  Vegas Color Match plugin helps but I am still looking for a better way to accomplish this.  Surely with color-checker and I could expect some magic, the way Davinci does things.  Not Sony Vegas though.
• Canon HF G10 was left unattended.  It was hard for me to guess the direction and as a result majority of the footage was of little use.  Extra operator would help!