Re: field recorders, warning, sales pitch...

Georg,
Although you are right that a simple hand clap can do the trick, real life is different. Very different...
Do not forget, i'm an editor, i get to do all the ingesting/ syncing.
Manual syncing takes time. If everything is done right, not that much, but at least 30 seconds if everything is perfectly organized. Most of the time it is way more, as cam and sound do not start rolling at the same time or another problem arises.
Ever tried to eye-match 10 minutes of audio on a talking head where you have no idea if there is in fact a match?
(you know it's the same text, but from what take?)

Of course there must be some reference, otherwise you have to manually find out what shot goes with what audiofile.
Most used trick is to set the cam in TOD that is app. the sound recorders TC. But, cheapo cams can't do that, thus every tape starts with 00:00:00:00.


If there is nothing in metadata to sync, the following WILL happen:

Clap is in the preroll of the camera (A LOT of camera ops do not realize that they are not running the moment they have pressed the button)

Clap is outside of the frame and the cam mic isn't working...
(really, it happens...)

Clap is in the preroll time when batch digitizing the tapes (FCP isn't able to do a preroll on CTL, or there is a control track break, so you'll loose 5 seconds from the beginning after ingesting)

Camera is stopped/started after the clap (cam op thought he could save some tape while moving to another position, battery change, etc...)

and more...

Worst thing is TC breaks in a tape, and you get a HVR-10 to ingest on FCP. While with a decent editing recorder you can stop / set inpoint, preroll and start over after a break within 15 seconds, doing such (automated ingest) with a cheapo HDV deck takes up to 3 minutes, and fails 1 out of five times.
That means babysitting the entire ingest. (Again, concert registration, 4 cams for about 2 hours. If all is well, this can be done unattended in a day. If not, this takes up to two days WITH an assistant.

I have got the T-shirts...

In reality, manual syncing is only possible with very simple shoots.
Even then it can go horribly wrong. I recently did a simple presentation, two cams, not even an external audio recorder.
Cams where not TC synced but were rolling in TOD. It took way longer to ingest (and i am using pro decks) and sync the material than to edit the piece. (one cam without sound, multiple takes with exact the same framing when sometimes one of the cams wasn't running...)


My advice, always get a decent budget to shoot in a way all files match. (and are able to sync even after a camera stop).
It will take extra money on the shoot, but a few simple mistakes will cost 10 times more to fix in post.

end rant...




Bouke

www.videoToolShed.com
smart tools for video pro's