The Andy Bumatai Show

[leashlaws]

Re: The Andy Bumatai Show

I enjoyed the Charles Memminger article and saw you mentioned,. I thought it
funny he mentioned my neighbor as not needing makeup since he's so tan

[Composite 2992]

Re: The Andy Bumatai Show - PZARQUON debuts!

A little background on the green screen...the walls are painted green. I'll leave it at that. Wish us some success so we can score $$ and tweak the stuff everyone wants.

ER

With unpredictable weather and everyone's tight schedules, this was the only practical way of getting nice outdoor shots without undue interruptions.

The green walls should work just fine. The real star is Primatte. I've even gotten a clean key with a green shirt (forgot to send a memo to the on-camera people that day).

Good luck -- yep, sponsorship is the foundation upon which good things can be built.

[Exhaulted_Ruler]

Re: The Andy Bumatai Show

I enjoyed the Charles Memminger article and saw you mentioned,. I thought it
funny he mentioned my neighbor as not needing makeup since he's so tan

Yeah...Mike does get alot of sun, or he is cooking in that suit that he wears for the majority of the day.

Here's the online version of the article;
http://www.starbulletin.com/columnis...lulu_lite.html

ER

[Exhaulted_Ruler]

Re: The Andy Bumatai Show - PZARQUON debuts!

Good luck -- yep, sponsorship is the foundation upon which good things can be built.

I agree. All the magic is done on the NewTek Tricaster

ER

[tutusue]

Re: The Andy Bumatai Show - PZARQUON debuts!

[...] I've even gotten a clean key with a green shirt (forgot to send a memo to the on-camera people that day).[...]

Ooops! I can just see heads and lower bodies roaming around in the shot which is fine if it's a promo for David Copperfield!!! Reminds me of a job I cast...30 extras, green screen and all the reminder emails I sent out about NO GREEN wardrobe! I even gave the explanation behind it. Still, extras brought green clothing!

[leashlaws]

Re: The Andy Bumatai Show

Yeah...Mike does get alot of sun, or he is cooking in that suit that he wears for the majority of the day.

Here's the online version of the article;
http://www.starbulletin.com/columnis...lulu_lite.html

ER

I've seen him lying in the sun........

[Composite 2992]

Re: The Andy Bumatai Show - PZARQUON debuts!

Ooops! I can just see heads and lower bodies roaming around in the shot which is fine if it's a promo for David Copperfield!!! Reminds me of a job I cast...30 extras, green screen and all the reminder emails I sent out about NO GREEN wardrobe! I even gave the explanation behind it. Still, extras brought green clothing!

Hehehe! When I saw the green shirt, I thought "oh oh!". But decided to go ahead since I know how far I can push the software. The green shirt was slightly different from the background and that was enough to separate it cleanly.

I've keyed transparent plastic "blister pack" products, veil material (a Miss Hawaii project) and, of course, stray hair.

As good as this all works, it doesn't handle poorly shot green screen well. Almost nothing does without a lot of additional work. So whenever I shoot for composite, I'm really picky about the conditions, particularly the consistency of the green screen.

[Exhaulted_Ruler]

Re: The Andy Bumatai Show

Hawaii Threads FEARLESS LEADER is in this!

http://www.ctrlaltdel-usa.net/privat...abs/index.html

ER

[Composite 2992]

Re: The Andy Bumatai Show

I finally got a chance to take a look at Andy's new show. Interesting content. But aside from that, here's some tech notes:

Pretty cool having robotic cameras!

Audio: Lots of room reverb. Move Andy's lapel mic closer to his mouth, set the mic gain as low as it will go to reduce ambient sensitivity. Hang sound blankets to kill the ambience -- the ones you can get from Costco work well enough. Watch the peaks. A limiter helps a lot (avoid auto level controls).

The ambience might be picked up because there are a lot of open mics. In which case put a "gate" on all of them. This can be done in post. Assign each one a threshold at which it opens up when that person starts talking, and then ramps down after a given amount of time. The mic is active only when someone is actually speaking.

A compressor might also help even out the peaks, but that was a problem only in Andy's monologue.

Green screen: Black levels of foreground and background aren't matched closely enough. Unless blacks match, the elements won't look related at all and viewers won't buy it. Not sure what the Tricaster can do, but see if it's possible to have a waveform available to get a close match on the pedestal levels of both signals to match.

The background isn't scaling with the foreground when the camera zooms in. Looks very strange. But to get the background to scale with the foreground means the compositing system needs to "know" the status of the background plate. That's really tough without placing tracking markers on the green screen, or without sending lens & camera position data to the keying system. Maybe avoid doing any zooms. Have a different camera reframe before cutting to a closeup.

There are systems out there that can track zooms and pans, but that costs money. I believe Ultimatte has that ability? I saw a demo at NAB a couple of years ago and was very impressed with what they were doing with a camera on a jib.

There are hardware options available that key, scale a CGI background and composite it in real time. There are ways to do it in post with AE and plug-ins. The old adage of "cheap, fast, good. Choose any two" comes into play. If there's time, it can be done in AE with tracking markers. If not, I saw an awesome system that could do it in real time, along with a full 3D set. Check out http://www.stateof8.com/

Not long ago I thought about doing virtual sets for a local show and decided that while it was possible, it would take considerable thought to pull it off without messing up. When cutting to a closeup, the background has to match accordingly.

The background plate on the show I saw looks static. There should be traffic and the highlights off the water should be in motion. Also, there should be subtle changes that indicate the cityscape is alive. Can this be a .mov file instead of a still?

The night sky behind Andy is pure black. Prepare one that has hints of clouds and/or stars. If you're going to provide an artificial environment, then make the best of it. Go for it! Include partial window frames as though there's some sort of structure behind them. Give them a real environment.

Get some color into the tablecloth. Or if it's a woodgrain table and the green screen was a problem, give it a natural or lustre finish. Otherwise, there's too much black in the scene. Andy's chair is black. His coat is black. The table's black. And so are the guest's chairs. Hate to say this, but it almost looks like a memorial setting. Andy's an entertaining guy -- go with that theme. Let's see something lighter and upbeat.

Each production situation has it challenges and problems. Creating an artificial environment that's even remotely believable is REALLY tough!

Again, good luck with the production. Hope it continues to improve.

[Exhaulted_Ruler]

Re: The Andy Bumatai Show

@Composite 2992

Good feedback.

Background on the taping...The recording goes straight to tape and everything is done on the fly. We start at 6:30pm and done 30 minutes later. No post edit time. Everything is tossed in all at once including closed captioning. At 7:15pm, the tape is taken to K5 before they shut their door at 8pm.

...and that's it.

So, whatever kinks come along the way...no can help, it's a done deal.

You have good suggestions, but to solve, gotta throw money at it, for gear and/or labor. The guys working behind the scene are good at what they do using what they have. Surely, if we had the works and expense is not a problem, it will be so much easier.

Here's the Tricaster Pro info;
http://www.newtek.com/tricaster/tricaster_pro.php

Reverb is probably due to the monitors on the ground floor running the show on the HD screens of the cafe. Just started doing that a few days ago. Work in progress. The room is not enclosed and is an open area.

Green screen....well, let's say, it's tweaked as best as possible with what is there.

Background movie is possible. Andy found a static nitescape that he liked, and it's going to stay like that for awhile.

Perhaps you want to visit during a taping? Let me know.

ER

[Composite 2992]

Re: The Andy Bumatai Show

Wow... talk about quick turnaround!

I'd enjoy seeing a taping session. Thanks!

[Golfsnorkel]

Re: The Andy Bumatai Show

Creating an artificial environment that's even remotely believable is REALLY tough!

Sorry if I'm not p.c., but...
I still don't understand why the need to try to make an artificial environment when we live in the nicest place on earth.
Why fight so hard to make the show look like it's in Phoenix?
It looks very amateurish.

You could film in my backyard and it would be a world class look (Spielberg has used it).
I guess I don't see the potential for the green screen to deliver superior results to what nature is providing.
I 'd rather see Andy with one cameraman walking on Waikiki Beach, that would look world class.
The light pops in Hawaii like no other place, to not use that is throwing away a precious card, the card that says "this is from Hawaii", and what's more valuable than that?
Andy's show doesn't say that, it says "I'm from a cheap production".
But cheap doesn't have to look bad.
I've been in music recording sessions where people fight to make a drum machine track right for days when a real drummer could just play it in 15 min, and this seems the same here; getting sucked into technology and not seeing the big picture.
Also, the music on the show is very weak compared to Charlie Rose's show.
I don't mean to offend anyone, sorry if I do, suspect I will, sorry!

[tutusue]

Re: The Andy Bumatai Show

[...]
I 'd rather see Andy with one cameraman walking on Waikiki Beach, that would look world class.[...]

Logistics...not to mention weather problems...increase with exterior locations. The added logistics...not to mention the potential for getting rained out on an extremely tight deadline...cost money. That said, I like your idea! A curiosity question...if the background was a video of a picture postcard day of, say, Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head, do you think that would help?

Andy's show doesn't say that, it says "I'm from a cheap production".
But cheap doesn't have to look bad.[...]

Minimal production budgets are a way of life in Hawaii. We all continue to search for the best look that is budget-friendly. Even then, the budget may not allow it.

My guess is Andy has a lot of great ideas and will need to grow the show little by little 'til the budget can support them. The question then becomes...is the show capable of lasting 'til that happens? Time will tell!

Regardless, I'm enjoying the content!

[Composite 2992]

Re: The Andy Bumatai Show

Sorry if I'm not p.c., but...
I still don't understand why the need to try to make an artificial environment when we live in the nicest place on earth.
Why fight so hard to make the show look like it's in Phoenix?
It looks very amateurish.

As TutuSue said, it's sometimes it's a matter of cost, availability and time. If it's done just right it's a very good solution that's hard to discern from the real thing. However it takes time to create a convincing composite (now you know how I got my screen name, except I messed up on 2992 when it should be 29.97, the drop-frame rate).

Anyhow, in the case of the fishing show it wouldn't be practical to get the host to some of the locations without making arrangements for air fare, hotel, ground transport and doing a bit of hiking. Then there's weather delays and the potential for injury. All for two hours of actual work. And the capper is that Cindy's usually available in the evening.

This way we're guaranteed to get a nice background without everyone having to get up at 5 am to catch the light at 7 am.

With Andy's show, the background can be any time of day and from any vantage point. A nice one is from the top of the Sheraton, looking toward Diamond Head. Evening light, just after the sun goes down. Get 15 minutes of background plate and you're all set. Just have to make sure the POV matches the POV of the studio set.

Of course the other option is to build a partial set consisting of structural elements that resemble window frames, and place a huge print of the cityscape in the background about 4 feet behind the frame. Drill a few tiny holes here and there, and add some random LED lights to give it some life. It would cost way less than an Ultimatte system and still look pretty cool.

Or keep the green screen, add a partial set, and replace the green with actual footage of a cityscape, or footage that's been sweetened with After Effects. All kinds of fun can be had with this. Helicopter with tourists passing by waving to Andy. King Kong climbing past the window but stopping briefly to check things out and wave to Andy. Someone base jumping off a building in the background -- see if anyone notices. Birds landing on the window sill and noisily pecking on the glass.

[tutusue]

Re: The Andy Bumatai Show

[...]All kinds of fun can be had with this. Helicopter with tourists passing by waving to Andy. King Kong climbing past the window but stopping briefly to check things out and wave to Andy. Someone base jumping off a building in the background -- see if anyone notices. Birds landing on the window sill and noisily pecking on the glass.

Bwahahaha!!! I love all of these! Maybe a different one each night! How 'bout a window washer? Someone parasailing? A windsurfer? All from the perspective of a 40th story window! Didya ever see the I Love Lucy episode when she gets caught on the narrow window ledge outside her NY apartment? Too bad Stephanie Sanchez isn't still in Hawaii!

Anyway...it's fun to let one's imagination run wild!