Advise on Commercial shoot on HD

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Pipe
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Joined: Feb 16 2006

Hi
I'm sorry if this sounds familiar. I've just stumbled on your site this evening after typing in 'Hotel Babylon shooting format' into google. A brief background, I'm a commercials director shooting out of London. I've just got a job in with a budget that won't allow me to shoot on film as usual. Having said that I just shot a viral on digi beta with the pro 35 lens adaptor, it looks okay, but I'm sure could have looked better. So my production company have asked me what tape formatt I want to use this time. I'm an HD virgin so would appreciate any help and advise, as you can guess I thought Hotel babylon looked quite nice.
Thanks in advance Stephen:)

Alan Roberts
Alan Roberts's picture
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Joined: May 3 1999

Hotel Babylon was shot on Sony HDW750 HDCAM using Zeiss digiprime lenses. Cameras were set up to the BBC settings for 35mm negative and a comprehensive grade was used. I was the consultant called in to set the project up as far as the "look" is concerned. the same settings were used for Hyperdrive, Waste of Shame, Bleak House, Last of the Summer Wine (not shown yet) and dozens more. Send me a Personal Message with your email address if you want to talk more about this, I do this as a consultant now that I've retired from BBC R&D (i.e. give me enough money and I can sort you out :)).

Get my test cards document, and cards for 625, 525, 720 and 1080. Thanks to Gavin Gration for hosting them.
Camera settings documents are held by Daniel Browning and at the EBU
My book, 'Circles of Confusion' is available here.
Also EBU Tech.3335 tells how to test cameras, and R.118 tells how to use the results.