There is an album launch that a bunch of us have been entrusted to video It's a rock/metal group and the launch is sometime next month, so we want to ready ourselves and do it well.

We have...

Panasonic NV-DS65
Sony DCR HC20E

to work with... both use miniDV.

So we need some advice on a few points...

> We're planning on buying a tripod - any advice on wat features or w/e it shud have ?

> tips/tricks/advice on how the band should be filmed. Little things professionals do etc? I read somewhere abt one cam on the tripod and one in hand for closeups...this is what we're planning to do. Any other suggestions would be nice.

> Sound. We've had some trouble with sound in the past - like once we got a direct out from a mixer and kinda busted a camcorders sound (not one of the cams above). The mic on the camcorder is not an option since the quality is pretty bad. Will an external mic be good enough? or is there another way to record sound direct from the mixer?

Looking forward to your replies, and thanks in advance

Rav

Almost impossible to do a 'how to make a good band video and be a good cameraman' answer.

You must get the sound off the decks. Get some interviews with band members. Use one camera for close ups on stage maybe and one further back. Get audience reaction shots. Avoid zooming. Get a wide angle lens maybe. Light for camera might be usefull. Get a book on good camera work, read it, practice.

Dont take a tripod, it'll just get in the way and I dont think it is needed.

__________________
I have two prejudices - I am anti HDV for consumer camcorders, and I eat mooks who claim to be pro wedding vidders and ask dumb questions.

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JVC DV5001e (big cam), Sony PC6E (tiny cam), Vinten pro5, PAG light, SM58, Sony ECM50, Sony C-76, 0.5x convertors for sony, Rode video mic, Vegas 7.

sound off the decks? pls explain, im clueless :P

and the tripod is for the stationary camera thts focused on stage... won't it be better than wobbly filming?