Questions about Top Gear Production...

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rymert19

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Mar 7, 2007
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I am a film major and I am in the market for a new video camera. I was wondering if anybody knows what type of camera (brand/model etc) they use for the cinematography portions of the show. Also if anybody knows if the majority of the coloring they achieve is done through post-production editing or through the raw footage itself because of their camera quality.

Any info is appreciated, thank you.
 
The ST220 is the Mondeo, the Focus is just the ST.. The orange "Rooooney" one :D
 
The Azzbo.

But, the camaras used by major broadcasting companies are generally hugely expensive, sort of ?30000 and upwards, if I'm not mistaken.
 
The use the DigiBeta format for filming, camcorders like the Sony DVW-970P.
Though that's probably not what you're looking for (it costs about $50000).

If you're looking for an affordable (and by that I mean $2000-$4000), small camcorder you might want to look at the Sony HDV camera called FX1 (or FX1e). I've used those in many productions with brilliant results.
 
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I was looking into the Panasonic HVX200, because it is HD and it certainly is the best consumer HD camera on the market right now.

That is another question I had: Is Top Gear broadcasted in HD in the UK?? I'm sure it is, there is no reason why the BBC wouldn't be able to... but please fill me in.
 
rymert19 said:
I was looking into the Panasonic HVX200, because it is HD and it certainly is the best consumer HD camera on the market right now.

That is another question I had: Is Top Gear broadcasted in HD in the UK?? I'm sure it is, there is no reason why the BBC wouldn't be able to... but please fill me in.
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I don't believe it is.

Was some outrage about that on this board, earlier this year, I believe.
 
rymert19 said:
That is another question I had: Is Top Gear broadcasted in HD in the UK?? I'm sure it is, there is no reason why the BBC wouldn't be able to... but please fill me in.
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No, it's not.
The main reasons for that (from what I've heard) is the cost for switching to HD production would be to great. I suspect they're waiting for when it's time to renew the equipment park and do it then.

If the HD story is the same in the UK as it is here in Sweden, they do some of the new shows in HD since that's a different investment - but leave the ongoing shows in SD until sometime when there's a natural shift (whenever that will be).
 
Plus in the UK there really aren't that many HD channels to be honest. The BBC has one HD channel on Satellite that will be closing down in a few months ahead of the value for money tests.

So there wouldn't be an output for HD Top Gear even if it was filmed in HD - there will be in the future though and the BBC has committed itself to have EVERYTHING filmed in HD by 2016.
 
Dr. Blau said:
No, it's not.
The main reasons for that (from what I've heard) is the cost for switching to HD production would be to great. I suspect they're waiting for when it's time to renew the equipment park and do it then.

If the HD story is the same in the UK as it is here in Sweden, they do some of the new shows in HD since that's a different investment - but leave the ongoing shows in SD until sometime when there's a natural shift (whenever that will be).
Click to expand...

Also very few people have HD televisions, at least at the moment.

Since the switch from analogue to digital is coming soon in the UK, people will be buying new tvs up until the switchover, at which point I suspect HD will become more in-demand.

As it is, it's like ridiculously expensive catering for a minority. Like the Scottish Communist Party using their funding to buy Rolls Royces or something.
 
teeb said:
Also very few people have HD televisions, at least at the moment.

Since the switch from analogue to digital is coming soon in the UK, people will be buying new tvs up until the switchover, at which point I suspect HD will become more in-demand.
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Same situation in Sweden.
The analogue/digital transition is going on right now, and there aren't that many HD channels available yet. SVT (the Swedish equivalent to BBC) have one, and they do what I said in my post above, some new shows (big one's) are done in HD - but they don't bother with ongoing shows - that'll be when it's time to renew the equipment.
I suspect the BBC have the same approach.
 
Wow, I wasn't aware that Europe had so little HD broadcasting, well I'm sure it'll pick up there soon. Here in the U.S. there are a pretty large number of channels already broadcasting in HD, and U.S. Congress has passed a bill requiring all television to be broadcasted in HD by like 2010 or something like that. The U.S. is really serious about it, because even some state legislators have been requiring discounts on HD Televisions to increase their sales.
 
All of our free to air channels are HD and if the content isn't HD they upscale it at the studio....
 
Oh, god. Government officials dictating what medium of speech should be presented? Where is a humans right to free speech going?
 
American TG Man said:
Oh, god. Government officials dictating what medium of speech should be presented? Where is a humans right to free speech going?
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that got shot to shit ages ago man, where have you been!
 
rymert19 said:
Wow, I wasn't aware that Europe had so little HD broadcasting, well I'm sure it'll pick up there soon.
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it's sad, because people began talking about HD over a decade ago, the European Union got involved, and set goals for European broadcasters to switch over to HD...it simply didn't develop that quickly
 
Dr. Blau said:
The use the DigiBeta format for filming, camcorders like the Sony DVW-970P.
Though that's probably not what you're looking for (it costs about $50000).

If you're looking for an affordable (and by that I mean $2000-$4000), small camcorder you might want to look at the Sony HDV camera called FX1 (or FX1e). I've used those in many productions with brilliant results.
Click to expand...

The sony FX1 is an amazing peice of filming equipment for the cash. I ont persnally own one but my step father does and i highly reccomend one of these if you can afford it. The outcomes are definately studio quality.
 
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