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DVD RAM rushes.


Malcolm Davies Amps CAS

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I will be a happy camper as you are when we can get rid of DVD-RAM discs.

I'm with Jeff.  DVD-RAM was a failed format for the consumer market that either isn't being made any more or won't be soon, depending upon whom you ask.  It's got lots of vulnerabilities, including the kinds of "it'll play on this machine but not that one" issues discussed in this thread.  More efficient solutions have been around for years, and they've been ignored.

Basically, it's DAT all over again.  Will we ever learn?

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No paper reports and no DVD-RAM.

That's great, Phil.  I had considered shuttling CF cards on the show I am starting, but thought the HD would appeal to them more, at least for now.  On other file-based HD shoots with a data wrangler on board, I do the same as you.  Hand off a CF for him to transfer along with the camera files.  My last two features were done that way.  This show there is no DIT/data person.

I'll have to work on the electronic reports as my next step.  I'd love to go paperless.

Robert

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Out here in the Midwest, I've been doing this for at lease three years, but then I only do commercial work. I hand over my CF card or a flash drive to the editor or DIT and then use Wave Agent to add notes and make a pdf from widget pro and e-mail it to the producer along with my bill. End of day. I alway hated burning a DVD and then having the editor thank me for a new pop can coaster after they have entered it in the system. Much less waste this way.

Scott....

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I think the only thing really holding back the solid state media taking over is the daily rushes.  DV40 is and has always been the machine to "scrub" the dailies. The Tascam machine looks to replace it with CF cards as its media. It'll be interesting to see if it goes in to use once released.

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Baby step toward no paper reports...

I'm printing 2-part reports for the upcoming show.  One to go with the "rolls", and one for my archive.  I usually do 4-part (myself, master, back-up, "pink sheet" for AD's).  I just called AD to ask if we are not turning in physical "rolls", can get away with not turning in a physical copy of the report.  Done!

I will experiment with wave agent, but I am not keen to add a laptop to the cart.  Hoping the iPad CL-WiFi will soon offer paperless reports.

Robert

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Sorry to divert this topic...

Even though I include a "PDF" version of the Sound Log on both my back up DVD-R (Boom Recorder) and Deva's version of their report on the DVD-RAM, I still like to hand write a report - as it truly tells me what I've recorded.

I also continue with a four-part form. White with Master, Yellow with the media (which should go to Picture Editorial), Pink for the Production Office and Canary for my records.

Unfortunately paper type reports both sound and camera are still the main form that both Telecine/Film Labs and Post Editors use to keep track of the material. I always talk to both parties and remind them that the digital versions of these files are available -- and if they go that route, guess what, they print out a paper copy!

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Gosh, I think it's been at least 5 or 6 years since I've done a paper sound report.  My experience has been that no one at Technicolor, deLuxe, or anywhere else has ever thought twice about it, and that editors prefer the PDF's for their detailed information, clarity, and the fact that they're harder to misplace.  Aside from from the fact that they're on the DVD itself, further distribution via email is much simpler than could ever be achieved with paper.

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It used to be that I did a written (4-part) report for sure and an electronic one maybe, nowadays it is the electronic one for sure, the 4-part one never and a print-out of the electronic report in the box if it is going to someone in a traditional DVD-based telecine facility.  With data wranglers there isn't a good way to send a paper report downstream--no good way to attach it to their drives etc--it pretty much has to be electronic.

phil p

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Unfortunately paper type reports both sound and camera are still the main form that both Telecine/Film Labs and Post Editors use to keep track of the material.

This might be what you've experienced, however with Encore, Technicolor and our post editors, the PDF sound reports have been a welcome change.  They prefer them to paper actually, and have the advantage of being searchable.  All parties have remarked how much they like them.

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I am all for digital files and no paper, however on my last pilot, despite my suggestion -- they wanted paper reports.

I have to admit that I still like having to write a slate, take and segment No. down -- just as my own idiot check that I actually rolled?!

Yes, I can look at the metadata, however sometimes we make mistakes, or have the incorrect take or slate number - so it isn't all automatic. It still requires us to enter the data correctly so our digital reports have the right information. Of course after the fact, after the "smoke has cleared", we can make the necessary changes.

I finally have my FW CF card reader -- so I'm making the change as fast as I can. I'm still going to hold onto my paper report for a while -- just can't let go of my blankee I guess.

Phil, the next time I see you, you can do an interdiction...

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The one thing I will miss after the old school sound reports are history, is the personalization of the recording and it's history. Same goes for the voice slate and beeps, etc. I enjoy the footprints I leave on the recording process. I always hope it helps downline. All that really matters is the recording, but I want my gigs known as my recording. Could be ego, but I see it as pride. I'm still doing sound reports the old way as well as the new. 

CrewC

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The one thing I will miss after the old school sound reports are history, is the personalization of the recording and it's history. Same goes for the voice slate and beeps, etc. I enjoy the footprints I leave on the recording process. I always hope it helps downline. All that really matters is the recording, but I want my gigs known as my recording. Could be ego, but I see it as pride. I'm still doing sound reports the old way as well as the new. 

CrewC

In the Nagra days I put a lot of $ into my own crack-and-peel tape box labels and multipart sound reports--all customized and with my name printed on them.  I sort of miss that, but I don't miss misinterpretations of my bad handwriting or the legibility probs with the 4th page of a multipart form.  I still do head slates --I enjoy running into xfer people and editors who recognize me by my voice....

phil p

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It's not auto-generated, but more personal.

Mine are not auto generated.  They are much more like written reports, but done on an Excel Template.  They save out and look like this.  I've found now that I am doing the Excel version of my sound report as fast as I did the written.  Yes, it requires a laptop but I already had one mounted on the cart.  I did both for about 2 weeks before I was comfortable enough with the digital only version.

So, RL...the check and balance procedure of the sound report still works for me.  And I agree with you, it keeps me honest.  I still put my little bits of info down for the editors and telecine.  The Template is customized for the show with all their info.  Sort of, best of both right now.

There is a sound report for the iPad in the works.  But this is working for me right now really well.

post-23-130815094869_thumb.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

I still deliver written reports (unless it's an over-the-shoulder small job, where I can't write while recording. In that case I'm starting to send electronic reports by e-mail)

I'd like to generate electronic reports from the recorder (I use a Deva V) but it still needs to evolve imho.

For instance, many usual notes should exist as a standard flag in the iXML so we can use notes just as notes.

And, very important imo, there should be an automated way widely accepted in the industry so we could supply both the contents of the report and a custom template containing all the graphic contents, structure, etc.

Or, ideally, this could be done within the recorder... but no hope for that in a near future... the recorder should accept our template including graphics and all customization, insert the data and generate a nice report on a PDF file. Again, ideally, but that's what would make me stop doing written reports...

Deva can write the data which can be inserted later in a spreadsheet but I won't ask post to do it or take a computer with me on location just for that.

WaveAgent can generate reports but are not very customizable...

What about the Cantar report?

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