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Music video workflow...


RPSharman

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So I have an actress friend who is going to make a music video in the near future. I told her I'd help out. I don't want things to get too complicated, and I have no idea what kind of camera they are going to use.

I own Protools Micro, so I can have music from LEFT (out to a pair of 450w JBL EON) and TC out of RIGHT (broadcast to my Denecke slate with a 216).

Is it any more complicated than that? Can it even be easier with waveform matching? Do I even bother with the TC slates? I don't really want to bring my whole cart, since it's on a show.

The editor is "proper" feature editor. Also a friend. So he ought to be able to handle any workflow.

I guess I am asking from people who do music videos more often than I do (never), if there is a standard way to do these things AND/OR and easy way, since this will be a freebie.

Thanks,

Robert

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If it is a 5D/7D you can just let the on board mic pick up the playback track and your editor can use plural eyes to sync each clip. If it's an Alexa or Red just feed it the PB Track. Otherwise your line of reasoning and plan of attack is solid. A freebee on your Holiday sounds like a fun way to ruin a vacation. Oh well, that's what friends are for.

CrewC

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(Cross-posted while Crew was posting -- forgive any duplication.)

Pretty much what you did. Also, furnish post with a copy of the prepped playback track so they can use the same time code reference.

On occasion, I've also sent the playback reference track and time code track to the audio tracks of the camera for more syncing options in post.

The other thing is if there are any speed changes needed -- either for shooting on film at film speeds which will be pulled-down when going to video, or for overcranking for slo-mo effects. The latter is quite common with music videos. For those, you can prepare other versions of the track with the time code adjusted accordingly.

Note that some intermediate versions of Denecke slates don't handle the higher frame rates well, say maybe above 30fps or so. The original TS1 handled pretty much everything, rate-wise, and the latest version of the TS3 can handle higher speeds also. The earlier TS3 versions are more limited in that regard. I'm not so sure about the TS2 versions.

If you need to nail the compatibility down further, note the version of whichever Denecke slate that you're using and call Charlie Parra. As has been noted often, Charlie, and all of the Denecke team, are quite helpful.

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Using the time code slate and an audio feed to the camera will definitely make the editor happy. PluralEyes will be of no (or very little) use on a song with any sort of repetition because the wave form on measure 4 may look exactly like the wave form on measure 104. Time code off your playback device is the best way to go and as others have mentioned, a scratch feed will help for playback on set and for the editor to double check.

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Last one I did was pretty much what you described. I ran Pro tools off my laptop, left channel with the music, right channel timecode feeding 216. I gave the camera an audio feed direct from pro tools, as well as a mic on a stand on set that also recorded to the camera. I just made markers through the song both for intro chorus 1 verse 1 etc etc.. as well as markers that followed their shot list. And having Pro Tools with me I knew any custom request was only a few clicks away.

Also if there are any time changes during the song (intro 120bpm and chorus 140bpm) You should find that out. I made my metronome lead ins ahead of time to the BPM of the song as seperate regions I could instantly move around to the marker point for the section of the song we were about to shoot.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here is my workflow for Music Videos.

I run PT with a 003

I record a time code signal the exact length of the track from my sb3

outputs 1&2 drive speakers

output 3 is a mono out of the track

output 4 is that recorded time code reference

Send camera 3&4

Time code on the camera sent from my output 4 is used as a timecode reference in avid (or FCP)

video tracks line up perfectly to the audio track when imported.

Post is happy

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I second this - I start by striping the file using a 744T or My fusion in the following order:

Tracks 1-2 are Stereo

Track 3 Mono Mix

Track 4 - Analog Time Code feed

From here I put it into Pro Tools and use identify beat to aline along the timeline properly to create a click track if they need it (I have been asked hundreds of times for a click track - and since I have been burned before not preparing it, I always just prepare it to be ready).

Then I set up all my memory locations accordingly and label them.

In terms of outputs, depending on what the song is like, I will either bust out 2 jackie srm450s, or just one. I also rarely put the speakers on stands anymore. I know people will probably disagree with me - but I have literally had 2 PA's on different jobs bump into the speakers making them fall!

I use the output of the mono track to go to either the camera a video playback if they have it.

I use the time code output to a Sennheiser G2 so I can have a wireless timecode hop to the slate. I have had very back luck with comteks for timecode feeds being finicky.

Oh also, I always use audio suite plugins to create 3 different speeds - 50% slower, 75% slower, and 2X speed - these I tell them are only for reference, and there is no timecode. The plugins speeding up and slowing down produce artifacts and stretch the timecode out so the slate can't read it.

Hope this helps!

~Thomas Popp

Here is my workflow for Music Videos.

I run PT with a 003

I record a time code signal the exact length of the track from my sb3

outputs 1&2 drive speakers

output 3 is a mono out of the track

output 4 is that recorded time code reference

Send camera 3&4

Time code on the camera sent from my output 4 is used as a timecode reference in avid (or FCP)

video tracks line up perfectly to the audio track when imported.

Post is happy

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hey Guys,

I have a 003 with Pro tools, and have a gig coming up in 2 weeks for playback, it will be my first playback gig with time code. We will be shooting on the Red, I read a post some where on jwsound saying that time code has a hard time or won't work if I sent over senn G2/3, I can't seem to find that thread, so any thoughts or experience with that? Also forgive my ignorance but should I send time code to the reds time ode inPut or to one of the mini xlr inputs?

My only time code gigs have been super easy, jam camera using 744t, so Iam a bit confused with the whole playback And pro tools with time code. Thanks

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From a post point of view, I wouldn't send music timecode to the Red. Otherwise, you'll get a lot of duplicate clips with the exact same timecode.

To me, the classic way to go is just to send the playback timecode to a TC slate, plus a scratch track to the camera, and then let the editor visually eyeball the slate and use that for syncing. But that call has to be made by the editor and/or post team.

Don't forget a count-off track for the artist. This helps a lot, particularly on camera moves or dance steps, plus it helps the artist figure out where to take a "breath" on camera.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I too have a similar shoot coming up and plan to feed the slate from the music playback track and the camera a scratch track of the audio.

my question is, there is a half speed version they want playing in at points as well for slo mo, purposes (i believe they plan to shoot those sequences at 37.5 fps) what is the best thing to do regarding timecode and slate- not worry about timecode for those sections and just feed scratch track to camera?

Any help gratefully received- I don't tend to do a great deal of music playback shoots!

Stu

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With a version of Denecke slate that can handle it (some of the earliest TS-3s couldn't), I've had success with speeding up both the music and time code. If you've done your math right, when the track is played back at normal speed, the time code is just as if you'd done it at a normal rate.

As Robert noted, the biggest problem will be with the talent keeping up. You might suggest to the director that they furnish the talent with an appropriately sped up version of the song prior to the shoot so they can practice.

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  • 4 weeks later...

A related question, I do a lot of this sort of work, but so far haven't been asked for playback timecode to Slate. I am usually recording live vocals during the shoot, playback timecode gets recorded to a track of the 'live' recorder as a position guide, the live recorder chases 'Shoot' timecode. Cameras all shoot the slate showing 'Shoot' TC and get audio guide track and lockits. In case I ever get asked to do it the 'classic' way as Marc W describes, how much pre-roll do you usually allow for the slate to be seen then removed from shot before music starts?

nick

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...

In case I ever get asked to do it the 'classic' way as Marc W describes, how much pre-roll do you usually allow for the slate to be seen then removed from shot before music starts?

It depends upon how long the cadence takes. But, think it through, then estimate and be ready to adjust on set if it's not ideal.

For instance, with a cadence of:

AD: "Roll Playback!"

You start the playback...

AD: "Roll Camera"

CAMERA: "Camera Speed"

AD: "Mark It"

The slate is clapped and then moved out of the scene as the camera settles. Meanwhile, is there enough pre-roll for the talent to be "into it" as the portion the director wants to film gets underway?

Think along those terms.

A more efficient cadence is for camera to announce "Mark It" when they're at speed, thus eliminating a step. Even more efficient would be for camera to eliminate "Roll Camera" as the camera simply rolls upon hearing the playback start. Be aware that, at the beginning of the song where there is silence prior to the count in, you would need to announce "Playback Speed" when you're rolling. Lots of variations. It depends upon how a given production cares to approach it -- part tradition; part efficiency, and part of it has to do with the size of the production and how many people need to spring into action (lighting cues, background action, etc., etc., etc.) -- and also what the cadence is for non-playback shots in the production.

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  • 4 weeks later...

No difference that I can see or hear. Performing is performing. I've seen post problems before where an editor deliberately chose to go to a guitar or piano close up, and anyone who really knows the instrument knows that the chord is visually wrong, but if it tells the story, that shot will get into the picture. Editors cheat all the time in music videos, sometimes stealing shots from wildly different parts of the song, just to make the cut work.

To bring this discussion up to date: I had to prep a music file for playback the other day, and (with some helpful hints from Courtney Goodin) came up with some notes.

One mistake my assistant and I almost made was, we're dealing with a non-I/O Pro Tools system (just Protools Native), which will read timecode but not generate sound timecode. We kept struggling to figure out a way to hose the timecode output back into channel 2, so we could play this back for a music video shoot, adding the timecode to an existing song. Courtney reminded me that (as far as we know) software cannot reinterpret a timecode stamp as audible timecode, since the program itself is creating this digital data from the initial start frame.

Eventually, I realized that what we needed to do was do the opposite: add the music to an existing timecoded BWF file. I generated a new file on an SD744t using an outboard Denecke timecode generator, splitting the timecode to Channel 2 and to the 744's external timecode input, starting at 00:59:30:00. I recorded for five minutes, then took this file and loaded it into Pro Tools and spotted it into a session. Then, I dropped in the music file supplied by the client, lining up the first note precisely at Hour 1. I preceded this with a 4-beat intro for the artist. Finally, I bounced this to a 2-track BWF with music on channel 1 and TC on channel 2. The file now loads into the player just fine, and we can send channel 1 (music only) to the PA speakers (and a scratch track to camera), and channel 2 through a Comtek hop to the slate.

I also prepared an identical file for the editor with music L on 1 and music R on 2, leaving the embedded TC as-is. This was one of the rare cases where I encountered people who didn't have the file already prepped for the shoot. Usually, I'm the guy on the other end of this, dealing with the dailies and final edit in post, so it's an interesting challenge being on the other end, having to prep it and set it up prior to the shoot.

This newly-created file plays back fine with Courtney's excellent BWF-Widget Pro utility, and I'm confident will work for our purposes on the music video shoot. The fast-cueing capabilities of BWF-Widget make it perfect for this kind of thing.

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Just finished an M-V with Lil Wayne for the Madonna World Tour. 2 Arri Alexas with no audio feed. TC slate fed the tc from track 2 of a 744t, audio on track 1. Audio fed to a SD 442 to 2 JBL Eons & to video assist. File supplied by production company with tc & 4 pop at the top. Had a lead sheet with all the words and matching TC numbers for internal recuing. Worked just fine.

Eric

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