Digital Video - February 2008 - (Page 9) SHORTS DV UPDATE CANON’S XL H1 HD CAMCORDER GOES GREEN hen California-based Tumbleweed Entertainment needed a versatile high-def acquisition solution to help educate viewers to become more “eco-friendly,” it chose the Canon XL H1 HD camcorder for a made-for-mobile series, consisting of 12 threeminute short films entitled Go Green. The series, which includes episodes on home-energy management, automobile fuel economy, and the recycling of household refrigerants (as well as many other topics), will premiere on a major 24-hour mobile programming network. “The client was interested in developing green-focused content for its mobile programming network, so we suggested producing a series of shorts on ways that people can be more eco-friendly,” said Brian Weidling, a producer-director and partner in Tumbleweed. Once the network gave Go Green the green light, Weidling and his partner, writer-producer Paul Galichia, began to research the right tools to accomplish the project. In reviewing the network’s technical criteria, “We found that the XL H1 was one of the cameras on their list,” Weidling explained. “We had used Canon cameras in the past, and they had always been very good workhorse products for us. “The type of glass that Canon uses provides a better look than most of the other cameras currently in the market,” Weidling added, explaining that his eightperson crew captured footage for Go Green using the 20x HD lens that comes standard with the XL H1 HD Camcorder. This 5.4-108mm lens is coupled with the XL H1’s Super Range Optical Image www.dv.com W Stabilization (OIS) system, sophisticated Canon technology that corrects camera shake instantly for steady shots even when they’re handheld at long focal lengths or taken while the XL H1 HD Camcorder is in motion. “I tout the XL H1 for its Image Stabilization and the results we achieved,” remarked Weidling. We shot most of the programs on sticks, but not 100 percent of them. These programs are designed for viewing on the Internet and cell phones, where even a slightly shaky picture can quickly become distorted and pixelated.” While most of the program material was shot on location with director of The Tumbleweed team sets up with the XL H1 while shooting Go Green. photography Matthew Talesfore, the design and operations of the Canon XL H1 HD Camcorder also made it easy for him and Galichia to go out as a two-man team for B-roll footage. Because the footage was all shot digitally, they note that they are also mastering all of the episodes with an eye toward future distribution on other platforms such as video on demand. Weidling and Galichia are editing their Go Green shorts using Final Cut Pro and will deliver the segments in QuickTime for the mobile programming network. dv january 2008 9 http://www.dv.com
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