http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss en drc@digibobs.fsnet.co.uk Tue, 18 Jul 2006 08:19:54 +0100 Tue, 18 Jul 2006 08:20:00 +0100 iBlog 1.4.6 Dave Chalmers VLOBLIVE Very LOw Budget LIve Video for Events. This site is a collection of tips. tricks, ideas, mistakes, thoughts and musings relating to planning, setting up and operating live video (I-mag) and graphics for public events on a very low, or zero budget. It is based almost entirely on my own personal experience and stuff I have learned from reading and surfing. Dave Chalmers drc@digibobs.fsnet.co.uk VLOBLIVE Arts & Entertainment http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C921054827/E20060718081950/index.html If you can read this, then you should be aware that VLOBLIVE has moved.

The new website is here http;//www.vloblive.info

and the new RSS feed is here. http://vloblive.wordpress.com/feed/

You will have to re-subscribe in your RSS news reader.
]]> Tue, 18 Jul 2006 08:19:50 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C921054827/E20060718081950/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E20060706233028/index.html Which is better - mixing onstage where the action is, or mixing in a control booth?
Read on to see how the two compare... ]]> Thu, 06 Jul 2006 23:30:28 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E20060706233028/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E20051023151752/index.html HDV is the new buzz in video circles - it seems to offer the impossible; High Definition video at the price (and datarate) of Standard Definition.
Great for low budget video production, but what about VLOBLIVE gigs? Should you care? How can you make use of all those extra pixels?
Read on to consider some of the issues raised by this new video format... ]]> Sun, 23 Oct 2005 15:17:52 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E20051023151752/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C271603377/E458080219/index.html Making eye contact with the audience means looking into the camera for IMAG, but do your artists know where to look? Here's some tips...including a REALLY cheap way of faking a tally light on a FOH camera...read on. ]]> Mon, 19 Jul 2004 07:08:39 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C271603377/E458080219/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C526790393/E86942091/index.html What items would I always take in my toolbox to a VLOBLIVE gig? Read on to find out. ]]> Mon, 19 Jul 2004 08:37:48 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C526790393/E86942091/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1515193591/E794584732/index.html Here is a link to a handy utility for setting up your projectors or displays
http://www.showsage.com/utilities.html It's free, but they want your name and email address. Seems a reasonable trade to me.
Available for Mac and PC in different resolutions. That's it. ]]> Mon, 31 Jan 2005 21:13:43 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1515193591/E794584732/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E774593822/index.html One of the eternal questions for VLOBLIVE video is how close do the FOH cameras need to be to get good shots. The answer, of course, is ...it depends..read more for details. ]]> Mon, 19 Jul 2004 07:04:33 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E774593822/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E20060302225534/index.html One way to better ensure that what you see is what the audience get is to use an LCD TV as your program monitor. ... read more. ]]> Thu, 02 Mar 2006 22:55:34 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E20060302225534/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1515193591/E20060207230643/index.html Tue, 07 Feb 2006 23:06:43 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1515193591/E20060207230643/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1515193591/E20060126075233/index.html If you ever have the need to play Flash animation files (SWF) inside a Powerpoint presentation, then there's a hard way and an easy way. Here's the easy way - SWF Point Player from GlobFX . Read more to see how it solved our problem... ]]> Thu, 26 Jan 2006 07:52:33 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1515193591/E20060126075233/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C921054827/E26871112/index.html More often than not, someone at every gig will ask you "hey are you recording this?". What you answer will depend who is asking, when they are asking, and why they are asking... ]]> Mon, 19 Jul 2004 06:16:19 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C921054827/E26871112/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C271603377/E2035813732/index.html it sounds a bit narcissistic but a good way to learn how to get better at doing video mixing is to record your own mixes to tape or via a fixed DV cam, and watch them back later. Here are some suggestions on how to get the best out of it.... ]]> Mon, 19 Jul 2004 06:21:20 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C271603377/E2035813732/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1421063942/E20060112095618/index.html You have maybe seen cheap pro analog video mixers for sale on ebay or elsewhere for knock-down prices.
Just be careful that you know what your are bidding for/buying... ]]> Thu, 12 Jan 2006 09:56:18 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1421063942/E20060112095618/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E20060112093629/index.html In the kind of budget range most VLOBLIVE gigs are operating, your camera choice is going to be limited to pretty much whatever you can get your hands on. However if you do have some choices, or if you are looking to invest in purchasing some cameras, here are some pointers to help you choose. ]]> Thu, 12 Jan 2006 09:36:29 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E20060112093629/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E20060110194551/index.html Here's a great idea - an external box that looks to your computer like an extra wide display, but in fact it splits the signals across two displays. ]]> Tue, 10 Jan 2006 19:45:51 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E20060110194551/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1232932611/E20060110193620/index.html Recently we have started using the Basecamp online project collaboration tool to plan live video events and it has been very successful. Here are some questions and answers about that product and how it might fit in to a live video event planning. ]]> Tue, 10 Jan 2006 19:36:20 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1232932611/E20060110193620/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E20051117155804/index.html Thu, 17 Nov 2005 15:58:04 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E20051117155804/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C271603377/E692556171/index.html Static cameras, i.e. cameras set up on a single fixed shot may seem like an attractive option if you have more cameras than you have operators. They can be very useful, but they have their drawbacks, some of which are outlined here... ]]> Wed, 13 Jul 2005 07:02:04 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C271603377/E692556171/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1232932611/E20051004080425/index.html Another useful Mac app here- this one is called MaxiFrame and it lets you play a QT movie across multiple monitors or projectors from a (fast) Mac.
READ MORE for how this could be used for VLOBLIVE gigs, and how it could be improved. ]]> Tue, 04 Oct 2005 08:04:25 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1232932611/E20051004080425/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1232932611/E20051004074206/index.html Tue, 04 Oct 2005 07:42:06 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1232932611/E20051004074206/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E20050924225057/index.html Sat, 24 Sep 2005 22:50:57 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E20050924225057/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E20050924082835/index.html There are expensive DV and HDV tapes and there are cheap ones. Does it make a difference?
Is it worth the risk to buy them in bulk at Costco?
Here are my own suggestions on how to make the right choice.
Read more for details. ]]> Sat, 24 Sep 2005 08:28:35 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E20050924082835/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C2021695717/E20050818071458/index.html This is the post-gig analysis on a 3 camera shoot of a wedding service that we filmed recently. What did we learn? Mainly...that we still have stuff to learn! but also widescreen is great, but needs some thinking through.
Read more for the details... ]]> Thu, 18 Aug 2005 07:14:58 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C2021695717/E20050818071458/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C2021695717/E1196397851/index.html 64 piece orchestra, 50 strong choir, IMAG, song words, and a presentation. A potential nightmare? Forewarned is forearmed!
What made the difference was preparation. Read my report on this gig. ]]> Sun, 31 Aug 2003 20:38:28 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C2021695717/E1196397851/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C526790393/E20050723152003/index.html Here's a quick 'how-to' provided by Buzz Miller (who got it from Nick Fox-Gieg ) on how to design a DVD in Apple's DVD Studio Pro app that will play one clip then pause on black, then play the next clip and pause etc. If you're doing a VLOBLIVE event short-handed and need to know that there is NO WAY to play the wrong thing on the DVD, this is a good approach.
Thanks Buzz. ]]> Sat, 23 Jul 2005 15:20:03 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C526790393/E20050723152003/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C526790393/E1090591869/index.html Mon, 08 Sep 2003 23:08:41 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C526790393/E1090591869/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C526790393/E1195353381/index.html A lot of the info on this site relates to live camera work, but playing back video clips is a very common requirement for VLOBLIVE events, and there are quite a few things you can do to make this work better... ]]> Fri, 16 Apr 2004 14:20:49 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C526790393/E1195353381/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E847058175/index.html There are some specific tips for debugging S-Video connections on two separate Co-ax cables (one for luminance (Y) and one for chrominance (C)). Here they are... ]]> Fri, 06 Feb 2004 21:14:06 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E847058175/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E885295546/index.html Sun, 21 Dec 2003 07:18:40 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E885295546/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E316950848/index.html Sat, 21 May 2005 22:45:47 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E316950848/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E1786660350/index.html "This projector is just too bright" - not something you hear too often at VLOBLIVE gigs! So is there anything you can do, short of shelling out more cash, to improve the problem of projected live video being too dark. ]]> Fri, 16 Jul 2004 07:09:21 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E1786660350/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E20050821200840/index.html Laptops are great for use at a portable VLOBLIVE gig, If, however you are looking to make a more permanent installation, or you are using the PC as the video scaler (See this entry for details) then you are pretty much stuck with a 'desktop' PC (there are very few, if any analogue video capture cards that work in a PC Card slot in a laptop). Here are some tips for configuring a portable media PC for VLOBLIVE use... ]]> Sun, 21 Aug 2005 20:08:40 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E20050821200840/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C526790393/E1090108641/index.html Most VLOBLIVE events require both video sources - VCRs DVDs cameras etc. and also PC graphics sources. Somehow both of these types of signals have to end up at the projector.
Here's a quick lowdown of the main ways to do it and why you might choose each one... ]]> Fri, 21 May 2004 22:09:18 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C526790393/E1090108641/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C526790393/E92294268/index.html S-Video is a great thing for vloblive technicians – it gives you a lot of the benefit of component video in terms of quality, without increasing the cable count too much. The big downer of S-Video is that, invariably it requires connection with those horrible little miniDIN plugs. Not only are they hard to orient in a hurry, but the pins bend easily and they have no mechanical locking mechanism. Here's one way around it... ]]> Sun, 26 Oct 2003 15:32:45 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C526790393/E92294268/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C526790393/E273215526/index.html If you are using a whole mixture of equipment, chances are you have a mixture of BNC, phono and maybe even other connector types for your video interconnect. Which is best and why?... ]]> Sun, 26 Oct 2003 15:27:04 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C526790393/E273215526/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C526790393/E276032785/index.html Given the option you always want the BIGGEST screen you can find for projecting onto.... or do you?... ]]> Tue, 02 Sep 2003 18:22:10 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C526790393/E276032785/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E199850575/index.html There are compromises all round when it comes to screen size, but here are some guidelines... ]]> Sun, 21 Dec 2003 09:51:13 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E199850575/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E359037801/index.html You set up a camera position and discover that once you see the positions of people and things on stage, your main shots are being blocked. What do you do? ]]> Sun, 26 Oct 2003 09:35:58 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E359037801/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E966857291/index.html It may seem a bit trivial, but in my experience the order that you do things in can make a big difference between getting everything running for a gig in the time available or ending up running around in a panic at the last minute, or having to run a show without some vital piece of equipment. ]]> Sun, 26 Oct 2003 09:33:24 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E966857291/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E765887950/index.html my projector puts up a big blue(black/yellow/whatever) screen every time my switcher switches - can I stop this happening as it looks very amateurish? ]]> Sat, 06 Sep 2003 09:15:32 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E765887950/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E2015220851/index.html Everything is connected OK, but the video is far too bright - lighter bits of the image are totally white ]]> Sat, 06 Sep 2003 07:24:08 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E2015220851/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E1228292586/index.html Everything is plugged in OK, and I am getting a picture but it seems much less bright than normal ]]> Sat, 06 Sep 2003 07:20:46 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E1228292586/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E1984144986/index.html When everything works there are no worries, but when things go wrong where do you start? When you are under pressure and the screens are black, and everyone is looking at you, it's tough to think straight and the danger is you just grab stuff and start unplugging, and make things work. Here are some possible tips. ]]> Sat, 06 Sep 2003 09:44:02 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E1984144986/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E954725884/index.html Preview monitors are the TVs or video monitors that show you what's happening on the various inputs to your video mixer or switcher. This ensures that you know what's coming next when you are mixing video. The question is....how many do you need? As is often the case the easy answer is the most expensive answer - one per video input, but let's look at some alternatives. ]]> Sat, 23 Jul 2005 07:20:32 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E954725884/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C921054827/E106832932/index.html As more and more computer based video editing systems gain the ability to burn video to DVD, I can see this becoming the most common format for the delivery of 'home-made' playback video for live events.
This has some good consequences and some unexpected side-effects. Read on for how to get the best of the DVD format at a VLOBLIVE event. ]]> Wed, 29 Jun 2005 08:03:57 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C921054827/E106832932/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E2105697736/index.html Consumer DVD players are SO cheap now, it's very tempting to make use of them as a playback tool for live events. Some are better suited to this application than others. Here are 10 specific features to watch out for when buying a consumer DVD player for use at live events. ]]> Sun, 26 Jun 2005 08:05:53 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E2105697736/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E1739293168/index.html I've outlined before what you should do with an intercom system once you have one, but here is some more detail on how the system itself can be best configured for camops (camera operators) and vision mixing. ]]> Mon, 22 Nov 2004 10:37:13 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1055660926/E1739293168/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E559241049/index.html If you have ever had a battery charge dialog box pop up, or a screensaver kick in during a presentation you will know that there are some precautionary measures you should take to set up any computer being used for live graphics display at a VLOBLIVE event... Here are some of them. ]]> Thu, 11 Nov 2004 20:19:53 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E559241049/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E1048697511/index.html We've all been there - sometimes there's no time to recce the venue, and when you get there you find that there just isn't the option to put the projectors where they need to be.
What to do? Here's some ideas... ]]> Mon, 28 Jun 2004 21:19:23 +0100 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C956576061/E1048697511/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1232932611/E1960395346/index.html Wed, 17 Dec 2003 06:24:02 +0000 http://homepage.mac.com/davechalmers/iblog/C1232932611/E1960395346/index.html