shooting music video.. need to use iphone to slate?

[Zakaree Sandberg]

Im doing a music video this weekend.. No dat playback with timecode slate available..

so I was thinking of putting the song under a timecode generator of some sorts.. making a mov file and uploading it to my iphone.. and using it as a visual and audible reference..

does anyone have suggestions?

 

[Jonathan Cooper]

Try this put your music on an FCP timeline add a slug then and add a timecode generator to the slug that should give you your video with music and timecode.

 

[A. Clint Litton]

this works well...basically load the song into FCP, add any kind of countdown/lead-in/sync pop of your choosing, and spit out a MOV with timecode, upload to your iphone and you're halfway there.

the second part of the equation is setting up the iphone (or better yet, an ipod touch that can remain dedicated to this task) with a wireless system for audio playback, so the ipod/iphone slate can travel wherever it needs to be for camera slating and feed the playback system at the same time. i'm guessing that a basic wireless lav system should handle it (substituting the microphone for a mini-to-mini cable that runs audio from the ipod/iphone mini jack).

i've seen it employed on only one music video so far, but honestly i'm surprised i haven't seen it more...such an easy solution that will save the editor tons of time in post.

try it out, let us know how it works (likewise if you figure out a different way to handle it)...

cheers,
clint

 

[Alexis Vanier]

I have used such a gig for a music video about a month and a half ago and it worked like a charm.

Once you've shot, you just open up every clip, go to your slate and input that timecode in FCP's change timecode window and bang. You can make multiclips, automatically sync-up everything, whatever. It might not be the best looking rig, ours rig involved plenty of electrical tape, 100ft of BNC and a iTouch in a Otterbox case. Quirky, but very functional, and very worth the trouble.

On the video I made, I added titles for reference (1st verse, chorus, bridge, solo, etc...) which makes cueing much easier.

I'll try and scrounge up a picture.

 

[Ivan G]

Check out movie slate on the app store. Works great and has all sorts of fps...

 

[Kwan Khan]

You don't need any slate, Just Ipod is enough.

Following Cables and Adapters are Required;
1- RED Mini-XLR and Mini-XLR to XLR Adopter (To Connect Sound Device 3-pin XLR to Camera)
3- Sound Device LEMO-5 to 3-Pin XLR M/F Cable (For TC IN and OUT)
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/searc...+to+3-Pin+XLR+M/F+Cable&N=0&InitialSearch=yes
3- 3.5mm Stereo to Dual 3.5mm Mono Splitter (To Sync Your Ipod, Play back and Camera)
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/252280-REG/Hosa_Technology_YMM_261_Stereo_Mini_Male_to.html
4- Mono Mini to 3-Pin XLR (To Connect Your Ipod (Right Mono) To Sound Device TC IN)
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/404072-REG/Pro_Co_Sound_SHMXM_5_Mono_Mini_Male_to.html



First You Need to Make LTC (Linear Time Code Track)
1- In Camera, Connect your LEMO-5 cable to TC & Output XLR to Audio 1 (using Mini-XLR and Mini-XLR to XLR Adopter)
2- Goto = System + Audio + Sound + Rec. Enable Menu + Chanel 1 + Set to "Line" (& Chanel 2,3 & 4 Disable).
3- Goto = Video + Audio Menu + Chanel 1 + Set to "0 db".
4- Goto = System + Project Menu + TimeCode + Set Output "Check" and Display "Edge-Code"
Now You got Audio TC fed into your Camera. Check your Audio display Chanel 1 should have Green Solid Bar
5- Setup your Project & Hit Record (Put lens Cap, U don't Need Video. Record at-least 10sec more than your Audio track).


So Now You just have piece of Black video and it has time code on track 1.
1- Open FCP, Make a New Sequence And name It "Play back"
2- Drag your Clip in & Pan it Right (In Viewer + Pan = all the ways right).
Play It & It should sounds like a Modem on your Right Speaker And Nothing on Left Speaker
3- Add some Visual Timecode. (Effects + Video + Timecode Reader). Make It big so you can read it on IPOD.
3- Bring your Audio (music) Track on A2, Hit "OPT+L" to Unlinked Stereo File and Pan both to the Left.
Play It & Now you should have LTC (Like a modem sound) on Right Speaker and Audio tracks on Left Speaker.
4- Now Just simply Export This Track to your IPod.
Note: For variable speed: Create new sequence (Name it "60fps" orWhatever speed), Drag playback sequence in to this Sequence. Select "60fps" Sequence + Modify + Change Speed to 250% (or whatever) + Export To IPod



Syncing Your Ipod, Play back and Camera all together.
1- In Camera Goto TimeCode, Checked "Jamsync" and Uncheck "OUTPUT"
2- Take "3.5mm Stereo to Dual 3.5mm Mono Splitter" and Connect Stereo Side to You Ipod Output jack
3- Take "Mono Mini to 3-Pin XLR" and Connect into Your Right side of Mono Splitter (For LTC out) and other end XLR to "Sound Device LEMO-5" TC IN (To feed TC in your Camera)
4- Take left Output and Connect to Audio 1,2,3 or 4 (In Camera).
5- Connect Your Head Phone Out or Audio Out to your Speakers. Wired or wireless (I used Sennheiser G2)


Now Edit Time.
1- Import all Clips in FCP. Select all + Control Click + Make Multi Clip + In Synchronize Using Select "Timecode"

Done
Happy editing

 

[Carlos Prio]

Hello Zakaree,

Jonathan & Clint have described a good workflow. While it's a little funky it really works well and in fact am eager to use it on the Ipad next week. So, let me detail how I used it.

01. Prepped the track by adding some count in tones & titles... I then export it as a mono aiff in QT7

02. Created a 29.97 timeline in FCP and imported the audio. Saved the FCP project

03. dropped a black tiff and/or 3-4 min. black clip on to the timeline. Note- the slug duration is limited and may not fill the length needed to give you a continuous timecode

04. apply the timecode generate filter on the black clip. The filter will display the timeline's TC

05. I brought up the point size and positioned the TC to display as large as possible and only display minutes.seconds.frames

06. export to web/iphone

07. you can now export individual files with different start points (verse, chorus, bridge, etc) calculate some pre-roll 8 bars.

07. I have a powered JBL 15", I connected a 35ft. 3.5mm to XLR fem and connected directly to speaker. test it out ad que it up!!!

08. So how do you use it??? Que the track on the iphone, position it clearly in front of the camera so that you can read & record the TC clearly. Press play and shoot the timecode for a fair amount of pre-roll...

09. In post- open your previously saved FCP project... you can now line up the timecode displayed on the footage with the timecode on your timeline. Thats it!!! Easy Sync

 

[Alexander Alexandrov]

Kwan Khan,

if sound devices recorder (like 702T) is generating the timecode.
can these be used:

http://www.pro-sound.com/AmbientSlate/SAMBTCout.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/404072-REG/Pro_Co_Sound_SHMXM_5_Mono_Mini_Male_to.html

to sync sound devices recorder TC output into Iphone/ipod/ipad slate app

and

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/327842-REG/Sound_Devices_XLLL_XL_LL_Lemo_5_to.html

for red camera sync to sound devices TC?

thanks

EDIT: i'm thinking of using on ipad app, seems to be a solution:
saw this http://tweetphoto.com/18336658 from twitter.com/cinemek

 

[Simon Reynolds]

I have used an iPod Touch may times as a timeclode slate. Sometimes using a radio mic kit to send the audio to the PA for wireless playback.

 

[jimhare]

iPad has a TOD slate for 99¢.

Big enough to use and it's actually pretty good.

 

[christopher witzke]

Me loves my slate'd ipad!

was one of the only reasons I bought the ipad.. that and I use it as a big ass GPS in my moho

 

[David Battistella]

I have used an iPod Touch may times as a timeclode slate. Sometimes using a radio mic kit to send the audio to the PA for wireless playback.

Zakaree,

This is about the most correct way to do it because you can record both a TC reference to match to and also an audio track to sync your edit. This is sort of how yo ucould do it in a cheapie way on film (without TC slate and dats) when we could use a DV tape plaback.

The iphone makes this really easy. I've done this plenty of times with no slate at all on film and then we'd just hand sync it so the iphone attached to a slate is a really great way to do it.

You just have to make sure your FCP timeline code matches your shoot when yo uare cutting. ti will be easy to sync up a multicam of various takes if you decide to do it this way.

David